


Shadows Under Sunflowers

by WindyWordz



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Canon Timeline, Child Abuse, Crying, Eating Disorders, Emotional Abuse, Lots of that, M/M, Parental Abuse, Physical Abuse, Slow Build, Unrequited Love, depictions of physical abuse from a parent, prepare to see a more expressive Kageyama as his composure crumbles with each passing day, set before the summer interscholastics
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-16
Updated: 2016-11-07
Packaged: 2018-07-24 09:22:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 11
Words: 74,112
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7502898
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WindyWordz/pseuds/WindyWordz
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tobio Kageyama is just a guy who wants to spend his life playing volleyball. That's all he's ever wanted. But life never wants to be that simple.</p><p> Hinata decides that maybe befriending Kageyama will help improve their volleyball performance and teamwork. Little does Hinata know just how much Kageyama is hiding. Hinata needs to figure out what's going on quickly or the little sunflower decoy might just lose his scary setter.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Let's Be Friends?

**Author's Note:**

> The story starts out a few months before the summer inter-scholastics, just after the end of the school year. It will follow the canon timeline, though it will not focus on the canon events. Rather, it will focus specifically on Kageyama and Hinata in their behind the scenes activities both in and outside the court and how it affects them in their sport and with each other. Written mainly in Tobio's perspective. Based on an RP.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hinata messages Kageyama asking to hang out before practice and surprisingly, the setter agrees.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I should really only call this a prologue with how short it is, but -shrug- It's important to read for the story so it's the first chapter.

Warm.

It was warm today. Much warmer than the previous days or even the previous weeks, where even though the sun had been shining and the sky spread clear, the wind that blew over the school grounds had been almost biting. It chased after those who crossed between buildings for different classes or to get to their usual grounds for sports practice. It was relentless, quick, and heavy, crawling down the collars of students who thought it wasn't cold enough to wear a scarf for that short period of time they'd spend outside.

It was odd to find himself not shivering as he exited the second gym after practice. Even after working up a sweat and bundling himself up in thick clothes for the journey home, he expected his skin to prickle with goosebumps and his muscles to quake in a vigorous attempt to subconsciously warm his body. So when a warmer breeze tousled his dark, choppy locks, Tobio Kageyama let out a small and quiet sigh. Dark blue eyes bordering on black blinked tiredly as he began the trek back to his house, his eyebrows for once relaxed from their usual position dug above his eyes. His body ached from practice, having been worked hard and working himself harder than before to improve before the Summer Inter-Scholastic in just a few months. He could feel a yawn coming on, the sun having long since set and nearly a half hour walk before he would even be within sight of his street. Cicadas called into the night while fireflies danced along the newfound warmth in the breeze, blazing bright and dying out just as quickly under the lamp lights marking the sidewalk. All he wanted was a hot shower, to climb into his bed, and sleep until noon the next day. They usually got Saturday and Sunday mornings off, and with no classes on those days, he could finally afford to sleep in and allow his body the rest it needed, if only until afternoon practice. If his brain decided to cooperate and let him sleep at all, that is.

When he finally reached his house, it was quiet, and his parents weren't home. He let out a soft sigh of relief and made his way to his room to dump off his bags, kicking his shoes off at the door. He was notorious for taking incredibly long showers. It was something his parents often scolded him for, whom he more than often ignored. He'd never had a peaceful relationship with them anyways, as they'd been just as strict, if not more so, than he had been with his team mates in middle school. Though they were a bit more physically forceful than he'd been with his team mates. Once being benched in their final match in middle school, he'd realized just how far he'd fallen off the pedestal he usually held himself so high on. But Karasuno was changing that. He felt something different with those wild, intense high-schoolers he called his team mates. Where he could picture the view over the top of the net without climbing onto a throne. A wide grin flashed into his mind, stretched under scrunched eyes and framed by tangled orange hair.

He barely dried himself before throwing his pajamas on, shaking his hair of most of the loose water that was soaking it. His hand wrapped around the doorknob to his room and pushed it open, towel still wrapped around his shoulders for his hair to drip dry on. The first thing that caught his eye was the blinking notification light coming from his bedside desk. An obnoxious green light sailing through his shadowed room and periodically illuminating his dark eyes. He blinked, leaving the light in the room off and making his way to the source of interest, picking up his phone to see '✉️ NEW MESSAGE!' dimly illuminated on the screen when he tapped the home button. He maneuvered his thumb across the screen and typed in his passcode.

"Hinata?" He mumbled, one brow raising as the wild boy's name stretched over his screen before another tap opened the text. His thoughts reading something along the lines of 'what does this idiot want now?'

'HINATA SHOYO June 10th, 2015 at 8:13 PM

Heya, Kageyama! I know I haven't texted you much... Or at all for that matter. But I kinda thought "Guwah! I'll do it." And I am. So if you're free tomorrow, wanna hang out?'

He blinked once, taking a moment to register that Hinata, the little ball of energy that for some reason was never too far from his side during practice and between classes - despite simultaneously being scared out of his wits by him half that time - had texted him. That he wanted to hang out was a whole other matter that he needed another moment to process it. He looked to the top corner of his screen where the current time lay. 9:38 PM; he could only hope the other was still up but knowing how the small spiker was when he got when over-worked, he sincerely doubted it. Still, the curiosity that picked at him as to why now all of a sudden the smaller boy wanted to 'hang out' was enough for him to send a reply anyways. Not one for long-winded texts as they took too much effort to type out with one thumb, he kept it short and somewhat sweet.

'Depends. What did you have in mind?'

He didn't wait for a reply, locking his phone with a quick click and placing it on the dresser that sat adjacent to his bed after plugging it in for the night. He shook his head to dispel the excess water droplets that still clung to the ends of his hair, splattering a quick rain-shower over his carpet before finishing off the job with the towel that still hung over his shoulders. A yawn broke through his lips, disrupting the angry facade he usually kept pinned over his features. He wasn't surprised, considering it would be nearing ten o'clock at night soon. His muscles were washed in another wave of ache, his feet throbbing from standing still in the shower for too long. The hot water had relaxed him but now that he was in the chill of his air-conditioned room, they seemed to tighten up again. So without much more invitation, he climbed slowly into his bed, wincing at his strained muscles until he was lying flat on his back.

He was silent, the air-conditioner in his room currently on sleep mode until his room became too high of a temperature and it turned itself back on. He could hear his parents downstairs, arguing again over the smallest of things, fanning the fire with even dryer bickering. He heard the front door slam closed and his mother walk down the hall to their room and slam that one herself, shutting herself in. He forced his eyes to shut, for his mind and thoughts to come to a slow and regulated his breathing to that which matched a sleeping person. Not that he'd fall asleep any quicker than he usually did. He'd be lucky if he fell asleep before one in the morning, and even luckier if he slept past six. There was a reason he had permanent bags under his eyes, though he did manage to cover them with a reasonable cover-up make-up product, fooling everyone that he was just irritable rather than constantly under-slept. But he underestimated the strain on his body and brain, finding the dark blanket of sleep pulling over his eyes, heavy and irresistible. His breath became softer and his brow unknit, not by choice but by subconscious relaxation. Maybe tonight he'd sleep peacefully for once.

Of course, sleeping peacefully in and of itself was just a dream. Tobio fell into the lull of sleep only to find it clawing at him with misty nightmares. One that plagued him often, one he'd still yet come to terms with, despite his greatest attempts and most impressive developments within Karasuno.

_'Move faster! Jump higher! Adjust your moves to match my tosses! If you want to win, then do it!!'_

_He made the toss, only to look back and find no one there, the ball bouncing to the floor with a dull series of thuds before rolling off into the abyss. His eyes turned back to the group that was supposed to be his team mates, only to find a bottomless rift spread across the court between them, all of their faces scratched out or blurred._

_But not enough where he couldn't see the hatred on their faces to spark the betrayal and utter regret on his own._

A vibration and pleasant set of beeps rang softly through the room, dragging through Tobio's hazy mind and pulling him from sleep. His pillow was a tad wet in a single spot under his eye when he opened them, laying partially curled on his side. His vision blurry and his mind still trying to cling to sleep, despite the vague recollection of having dreamt something unpleasant, he could see the little green light on his phone blinking quietly, notifying him of a new message. He blinked, slowly reaching over to his bedside dresser and gently placing a hand on his phone to retrieve it. He blinked a few more times to clear his vision, allowing him to read the time as 7:15 AM and for Hinata's name to become clear before he read his message.

_H: 'I didn't really have a set thing planned, but now I'm thinking ice cream??? Ha, set. And you're a setter! XD Well, lemme know what you think!'_

He felt his eyebrow twitch at the other's horrid pun on his beloved position, but took a breath and released it slowly as he typed a quick response.

_K: 'What time. We have practice at 1:30.'_

He hit send before another thought came to his head, a playful joust at the other that would probably go over his head as a direct insult. But it was too good for him to waste so he pulled up Hinata's text again for another reply.

_K: 'And ice cream this early in the day seems rather undignified, which is understandable coming from you. Why don't we just go get breakfast?'_

Rolling onto his back, he placed his phone on his chest and let his arms fall to the side. His eyes fell closed, though he already knew he was going to stay awake, counting his breaths and relishing in the silence of his house and the misty light that futilely tried to push past his window's blinds. He only had to wait a few moments for his phone to vibrate again, soft against his night shirt and against the relaxed beating of his own heart. The gentle chorus of beeps that paired with it made him open his eyes and reach for his phone, lifting it to a point where he could read it and flipping it open at the same time.

 _H: 'Hey! I was making a nice offer, ya know!'_ The raveney gave a little huff out his nose - a small laugh - before a second message came in. _'I dunno! If you're free I could do 8:30? But where do you wanna get breakfast???"_

He felt a victorious grin try to pull at his lips, but pushed himself up before it could fully form, falling back to his usual relaxed frown. His thumb texted out a response idly before a large yawn broke through his features, causing tears to well up in his eyes.

_K: 'Of course I'm free that early in the morning.'_

He saved that one in his drafts and sent it after his second was written as well hoping it sent before his volleyball partner could send another angry reply.

_K: 'There's a coffee shop near the school that I stop at sometimes on my way there. It sells a few breakfast pastries and meals. It's pretty good. Why don't I meet you at the gymnasium and we'll head there after that.'_

_K: 'Wouldn't want you getting lost, after all.'_

He'd hardly had to wait a minute before the next reply came in.

_H: 'The gymnasium it is. Try not to be late okay!'_

He huffed lightly at the other's jab, letting it roll off his shoulders as he stood, placing the phone on his bedside and moving to his dresser that held his usual clothes. Even though it was summer vacation and classes had ended, he usually went for an early morning jog. Today though, with a rather aggressive encouragement from his body, he decided to skip it. Instead of his jogging gear, he pulled on a black, thin, long-sleeved shirt paired with a singular pair of light grey slacks. He slipped a belt through the belt loops on his pants, pulling it through the buckle with a firm click. Slipping his phone into his front pocket and wallet into his back one, he glanced at the alarm clock that sat loyally on his dresser: 7:24 AM. He heard his mother emerge from her room and slip into the bathroom. She must have come home sometime after he'd gone to bed. If he left now, he could get out of the house without any confrontation.

So with a quick step and a last second snatch for his Volleyball bag, he stepped into his black sneakers by the front door and slipped into the dawn. It was still too early for any real color to reflect of the pathetic wisps of clouds hanging in the atmosphere. He yawned as he walked, readjusting the strap on his bag over his shoulder as he waited to cross one of the busier streets. Even this early, people were heading off to work and other engagements, both by foot and by vehicle. He was on his fastest, and preferred route for the school, and would arrive there in less than twenty-five minutes. That would no doubt leave him time to kill as he waited for Hinata to arrive - who would doubtlessly be late.

As predicted, twenty-three minutes later he had reached the school grounds and headed to the second gymnasium. The sun had made a quick appearance that gradually increased, making shadows warp and stretch over the dry dirt, sinking into the creases of his clothes and making his face look darker than usual. He leaned against the gymnasium door and slid down to sit on the concrete. That part was still cold, sinking through his pants into his skin. He leaned his head back, watching a few cicadas fly between the sparse trees. He yawned again and pulled out his phone,tapping the home button to wake it up and see the time was 7:52. He had a little under forty minutes to kill before Hinata was supposed to show up, if he was on time. Tobio doubted he would be. So he leaned his head back again and closed his tired eyes, relishing in the cold that pressed against the heat throbbing against the back of his neck; something that would no doubt cause a head ache later on in the day and make practice all the more difficult to get through.

He hadn't realized he'd dozed off until it was already too late, hands holding his phone loosely in his lap, legs criss-crossed in front of him, his back slouched against the cool metal door even as the air began to heat up with the rebirth of the sun over the horizon. He fell into a light sleep before he could remember that he hadn't put on any cover-up for the bags under his eyes, making them darker than usual, even in sleep.

The vibration in his hands around forty minutes later, paired with a light string of chimes, dragged him from his light doze. He blinked open his dark eyes to see the hues of dawn fading out over the sky and finding his butt uncomfortably cold and numb from sitting still so long. In fact, even though the air was warming, a lot of him was cold. He shifted himself so he was leaning forward over his lap, unlocking his phone in the process as he rubbed his bleary eyes with the other hand and tried to make out the contents of the message.

_H: 'I'm here! Where are you at?? I'll be heading to the gym now.'_

He was thankful that the text had woken him up; he couldn't imagine how Hinata would tease him if he found him sleeping at the gym doors. He slowly pushed himself to stand, stretching his stiff back with a variety of satisfying pops that let loose a sigh of quiet relief. The footsteps of the small boy he had planned to meet there could be heard heading towards him at a rapid pace, and he glanced down at his phone to check the time once more before the other showed up. 8:23 AM.

What do you know, he was actually early for once.

He locked his phone as he heard the other turn the corner, slipping it into his pocket as he reached down for his duffel bag. He slung it over his shoulder in one fell swoop and descended the few steps to the ground below where he turned to watch the other approach him.

"Took you long enough. I was starting to think you had invited me as a joke just to get me up at this ungodly hour." His words were flat, his head feeling a little lighter now that he'd napped and his stomach silently pawed against its interior to inform him that he should eat, and soon. Still, he didn't look at the other with hard concentration or irritation, merely a relaxed and calm gaze broken only by the obvious bags under his eyes.

Furrowing his brow, the smaller of the two shot his arm forward, pointer finger stuck out and directed at the ravenet, "Maybe you'd do that, but I'm a little more mature, so there!" His voice was a little raised; loud as usual, but he didn't continue the childish comeback. Not because he actually _was_ more mature, but because he needed to remember why he was here - to make friends with Kageyama and become an even greater volleyball player.

"Oh? Then why are you shouting like an idiot when there's no one around?" The setter countered.  Hinata averted his gaze, grinding his teeth to avoid commenting on Kageyama's own lack of enthusiasm. I mean, in the ginger's opinion, his rival looked more dead then alive right now. The bags under his eyes almost made him scarier then usual.

"Umm-! So... coffee shop!!" Hinata suddenly blurted out, crossing his arms as he stared up at Kageyama.

Tobio blinked at the other's avoidance of a fight, which was odd since he was usually the one picking them, "Yeah, let's go." The tall ravenet shifted to move past the smaller ginger, walking steadily down the sidewalk towards the entrance where he'd come in, planning to backtrack his way to the coffee shop. He expected the other to follow him, so he didn't look back, not having to need to once he heard the other boy's steps fall in behind his own. It had been kind of odd for the other boy to blurt out something to avoid a fight. Half the time, Hinata was the one picking them. But he shrugged it off.

"So, what gave you the courage to go and ask me on a date?" Tobio asked, wasting no time in trying to pull information out of the other.

Hinata's shoulders tensed at such an idea and he quaked out a response, "Th-Th-Th-This isn't a date!" His face was brighter than the setting sun, red and vibrant. "I'm just thinking that s-since we're teammates and all... We should like, get to know each other better. Trust and stuff! That's all!" 

Tobio felt the knot in his chest that had been there since he'd woke up loosen a little at the other's expected outburst, though the words themselves made him turn his head to furrow his brow upwards. Dark eyes blinking twice in confusion as he responded; perhaps he had heard him wrong.

"Trust?" He repeated, offering the other a slower pace to keep up with his long legs. "Don't you already trust me to toss the ball to you?"

'Get to know each other' he had said. That wasn't a process Tobio was very familiar with, and he had a feeling he wouldn't be any good at it. He was a genius when it came to Volleyball, but when it came to making friends, he was as clueless as a newborn chick. Though he did find the other's tense reaction and shaky comeback comical, it did little to raise his mood, as usual. But he allowed himself a calmer facade, trying to somehow bring down the tension that had always existed between the two rivals.

"I already told you I will hit any ball, it doesn't matter to me. So, of course I do!" Hinata confirmed instantly, shifting to rest his hands on his sides as they walked. "... I know I totally trust you on the court. So I mean, you know-" His sentence cut short as his hands shot up to chest height for him, fingers wiggling as he tried to think of how to get this across. "Nnggh... Mmmm!! I want to know you?" He forced out, almost sounding as if it was a question. "I-I- Um...! Want to he able to trust you outside the court too!" That sounded just as bad as it did in his head. A pained groan slipped past his pouting lips. Brow furrowed as he awaited some sarcastic comeback. But he was serious about this. The setter let the other fumble over his words and only paused in his walk as the other blurted out his last statement, a legitimate look of surprise coming across his face, followed by one of confusion that stuck longer.

"Want to know me? Trust me outside the court?" He repeated to himself, before turning his head away and semi-mumbling, both to himself and the other boy. "Why don't you just come out and say you want to be friends then, instead of jumping around the topic like it's a snake poised to bite?" He didn't have time to play coy and mess around. He was tired and he was hungry, and they were nearing the busier part of the walk, where they would have to pay attention to traffic and shady figures. Then they'd have to wait until they got to the coffee shop to talk. He let out a sigh and turned back to the smaller boy, eyeing him for a moment. Ugh, he had that sincerely serious face on. his eyes all sparkling at him, waiting for a response that would bring about the result he wanted, as if certain he would get it just by looking at him like that. It really made him grind his teeth.

After taking a deep breath, the spiker nodded to confirm, grumbling a 'Yeah, well, maybe if you didn't always look so scary...' under his breath. It wasn't like Kageyama was the most approachable person in his or really anyone's eyes. His hands fidgeted with the bottom lining of his shirt.

After the other's last comment, Tobio would deny any testimonies against him for grabbing the ginger's fluffy head in a vice grip. Still, he let go relatively quickly, glaring at the other for a moment before he sighs and forces his brow to relax. He didn't mean to always look scary, it was just the face he'd always worn to protect him from bullies and nasty people trying to take advantage of him.

Hinata tried to counter when he saw Kageyama move in to grab his head, putting two fists up defensively, but to no avail. He let out a short; 'Gah!' as it happened, but was obviously being over dramatic about the situation. He didn't lower his fists when the hand that gripped his head pulled back, only doing so when he noticed a slightly more... relaxed expression on Kageyama? He blinked a couple of times before letting his arms dangle by his sides once more.

"Oi," Tobio said as they reached the busier section of town, eyes already back to looking out for anyone who would try to mess with them, or rather, Hinata. "If you want to be friends, and... learn about me... then first you have to wipe that over-excited look from your face until we get to the coffee shop, alright?" He already spotted a rather shady guy eyeing them and he gave the man a fierce look, sending him backing into the crowd. 

"Huuuh?! What do expect me to say? 'Sure, I can stop making my face do that!'? Hmph!" Even though he felt a little insulted, the ginger was glad. A huge grin already stretching his lips at the successful outcome of this adventure. Sure they weren't exactly buddies and Hinata had zero ideas of how they would become that, but at least they were going to try. The shorter of the two wasn't particularly paying a lot of attention while he thought of how this would work, completely missing the glare Kageyama shot at whoever was looking at them.

One hand from the tall setter latched onto Hinata's wrist and yanked him forward with him, ignoring any protests the other may have. "Come on, let's hurry up. It's only a ten minute walk from here." The small spiker's eyes suddenly widened as his wrist was taken by Kageyama's hand, smile dropping so it could make room for a dumbfounded expression.

"H-Hey!" Hinata stammered questioningly as he was pulled forward but his arguments were falling on deaf ears.


	2. Outside The Court

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kageyama and Hinata getting to know each other at cute cafe and then volleyball shenanigans

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> throws some cafe au OCs (to be elaborated on in the next chapter) into the mix because this is my fic and no one can tell me what to do

"We're here." The scent of coffee was vague and bitter, dying down to something a little sweeter once Tobio opened the door and slipped through, letting his hand trail on the wooden surface to keep it open long enough for the smaller boy to follow in after him. The moment Kageyama confirmed they had arrived, Hinata pulled his hand back with flushed cheeks. It wasn't like he couldn't walk by himself. That was embarrassing - having that guy pull him down the street by his wrist.

The cafe wasn't too busy; the early morning and before-work rushes having passed already, leaving a few strays behind and the baristas to clean up the tables, now surrounded by empty seats. One of them greeted them from behind the counter; a short girl with long brunette hair partially pulled back into two buns on her head and a small smile, the name-tag above her left breast reading Hachimitsu.

"Good morning! What can I get for you two boys?" She chimed, still absently drying a coffee cup with a clean rag before she put it back on a shelf.

"Ah, we're gunna look at the menu for a few minutes, if that's alright." Tobio replied politely, blinking once as he averted his eyes from the girl's pleasant face to the menu hanging above her, though he did not return her smile. When the girl greeted them, Hinata waved sheepishly as Kageyama said they would need a minute. Despite the fact they were supposed to be ordering, his full attention was on Kageyama. He was being... pretty _nice_  to this girl. Which was interesting because when he thinks of Kageyama, nice isn't the first word to come to mind.

"That's fine! Let me know when you two are ready to order!" The employee said, turning back to the several coffee cups she still had to dry when Tobio nodded in acknowledgment.

There were a variety of items on the menu, and his stomach pawed especially hard against the interior when his dark eyes landed on a favorable item. A blueberry muffin, sitting pristine and pretty in the display case, sounded like something just right about then. Granted, this was a coffee shop and the amount of actual food items was limited. He allowed his gaze to move to the opposing side of the menu, where the beverages were located. He was certain to need a boost after the shoddy sleep he had gotten that morning and the accidental nap he'd fallen into outside the gymnasium. He wasn't a particular fan of coffee, disliking the bitter flavor, but perhaps if there was something sweet enough...

He glanced to the side at the small ginger beside him, trying to decipher from the other's expression whether or not he was ready to order. When he couldn't figure out head from toe out of the smaller boy's wandering eyes, he decided to simply voice his question.

"Know what you want yet?" The question was to the point, but he tried to remain nonchalant and keep from sounding annoyed if the other's answer was no. Hinata wanted to be friends, as well as team mates. To do that, Tobio figured he should at least try to be... nice? Polite? Sincere? He was going to settle on the foremost of those options.

"Of course I am!" Hinata responded before shooting a hand in the air as he smiled at the barista, alling out with his too-loud voice. "Excuse me, excuse me! I'm ready to order. Oh, wait-Are you?" He asked, raising an eyebrow as he realized he forgot to ask Kageyama if he was ready too. He scratched the back of his head awkwardly at the mistake, his curly locks ruffling slightly from his fingers running though them.

The other bit back a huff and partially turned to the ginger, "Of course I am. I wouldn't have asked you if i wasn't." The reply lacked tact and probably sounded pretty short, but he was trying. One can only sound so kind after so long of being treated without it. He turned to the barista that Hinata had called over, wiping the hesitant look off her face with a small nod and stepping forward. He put in his order and pulled out his wallet, pausing to turn his head to look over his shoulder to his team mate behind him, "Oi, you going to put in your order, or are you going hungry?"

"Oh... Right!" He agreed. Hands balling into fists as he let them fall down beside him. Kageyama was really good at making him feel stupid sometimes, but he shook off the feeling as soon as it came. "No, I'm gonna order. Gimme a sec!" As he spoke he stepped forward to the space beside Kageyama, a short 'Um...' was all that was heard before he smiled awkwardly. His brain was having a short moment of weakness, but he managed to recover and quickly ordered a chocolate chip muffin and a small hot chocolate.

Tobio's fingers filed through the yen in his wallet, counting out the amount for his own order and pausing there as he waited for the other to order. He blinked, intending to pay for the smaller boy's food and drink as well. That's what he saw the third years doing for each other and they considered each other friends outside of the court, right?

"Don't worry about paying. I got it," he said to Hinata, turning back to the barista after the other had ordered, narrowing his eyes as he went back to counting bills. Folding his wallet and stuffing it back in his pocket after he'd pulled out the appropriate amount of money and placed it gently into the barista's hand. He saw her a little taken aback with how nice he was being, considering that as a regular, she knew him to be a little more irritable, especially this early in the morning. He probably was giving Hinata a heart attack, but he kept his back firmly to the small spiker to avoid catching his expression, taking the change back from the barista and sliding it into his pocket without care. Mouth agape, the spiker's first reaction was to take a step back,  a beyond confused expression stuck on his face as he watched the setter pay. Kageyama was actually paying for his breakfast. That was definitely not something he ever expected to happen.

Tobio had only partially turned around before he caught wind of Hinata's expression, dumbfounded and mistrusting. It made him hesitate in his words for a few seconds, allowing a partial break in his angry facade for uncertainty to flicker over. It was gone in seconds with a hard swallow and moving his eyes to the side when his brows re-furrowed.

"What the hell are you staring at me like that for?" He grumbled, glaring at him. Not angry, but a little self-conscious and awkward, "You wanted to be friends, right? Don't friends pay for each other's food or something?"

"Ah! I-I'm not looking at you any way in particular," the smaller boy stammered, not very proud of his attempt to protest against the obvious surprise that struck his face. None the less, he still attempted to mask it over with a pout.

The beginnings of his own partially annoyed pout pulling at one side of his lips, Tobio slid his hands into his front pockets and nodded towards some tables, "Go pick somewhere for us to sit while we wait for out food."

Nodding confidently in return, the small ginger wandered off to find a good table for the two of them. Smiling, he trotted over to one he liked. It looked cozy enough and was the only one located by the large window. Hinata wouldn't mind having things to look at while they talked. The outside was always inviting and the sun seemed like a comforting factor as they ate.

"This sound work." He chimed, smiling to himself as he gently patted the surface of the table with his hand, looking back at Kageyama to see if he would approve or not. Not like he really thought the other would care. He just wanted to be nice about it since it appeared like the ravenet was trying rather hard to do the same.

Tobio followed behind the energetic boy more slowly and blinked at the spot he'd chosen out. It was a nice spot, where they could watch the outside world over idle chatter, but the sun wasn't so direct that it blinded them from all else. He could see the way the sunlight fell over the wild curls and twists of orange hair atop Hinata's, highlighting light streaks of blond and red. Chestnut eyes became an inviting honey color, sweet and pure. It made him pause, hesitant to step into the light his team mate so eagerly entered. It looked like someplace he had no business residing in.

Still, it looked warm.

So he took a step into the sun's path, allowing himself to be enveloped in its minor warmth and shifted his weight to one leg as he addressed Hinata, "Yeah, this is fine. I've been here pretty often and their service is pretty quick when it's empty like this." He looked down to the seats and decided to slide into the more shadowed one, feeling a little more comfortable with only half of him dressed in sunbeams.

As soon as an okay was given to the area he picked, Hinata slid into the open chair across from Kageyama. He was also more then relieved to hear that the food wouldn't take long. He sighed happily while getting comfortable, the feeling of the sun through the window causing him to wiggle down a little, resting against his back of the chair.

"Awesome! I'm soooo hungry." Hinata commented, sprawling his arms on the table lazily. Sparkling eyes met with Kageyama's shadowed ones as he debated what to even say to the setter. When his mouth opened to continue the conversation, he paused, closing it suddenly and squinting his eyes closed as he thought. What did they really have to talk about besides volleyball? Well, he supposed that was why they were there. To figure out what their was to each other. "Ah... So, um- Do you like things besides volleyball?" He asked. Honestly, he had no idea what the ravenet liked besides volleyball. Or if he was even capable of liking anything besides that.

"Volleyball is the absolute, singular, most important thing to me." Tobio's voice was without hesitations, words stiff and spoken with utter seriousness, reflected on his face with a darkened expression. He caught himself then, and coughed to loosen up the muscles in his face, looking to the side. His eyes landed on the doors leading to the kitchen, hearing the faint rumble from behind the bi-pedal door. Hinata nodded in response, having figured the reply would be something like that. The sport was a driving force for them both.

"I know," was all the ginger let slip out before falling back into silence.

Tobio blinked, thinking back to the times when he was very little and his grandmother was alive. She used to come over and cook for him when his parents were both out on business meetings. He remembered all sorts of great smells and tastes, even going as far as to learn how to cook from her. It was a pass-time he rather enjoyed, and reminded him of happier times before his parents started working at home and started fighting.

Started taking out their frustrations on him.

He blinked again, clearing his head before his mind ran too wild, eyes still on the metal doors. Hardly a second had passed, though it had felt like several minutes. He could see Hinata in his peripheral vision, still slouched over the table like a slob, unhindered by anything. Chestnut eyes focused on him. He let loose a very small sigh through his nose as he leaned forward to rest his chin in his hand.

"But," he added, "I've always... kind of liked... cooking, I guess." He fumbled over his words a bit, unfamiliar with the approach in revealing something about himself to someone else. He could feel a light wave of heat push against his cheeks, and turned his head a little bit more to try and hide it from the boy sitting across from him.

The moment that answer hit his ears, Hinata was almost positive it was a joke. The thought was discarded the very moment he caught a glimpse of Kageyama's face. Even the way the words came out; it just sounded honest. His first instinct was to try to picture the horribly scary guy in an apron, cooking over a stove with his usual dark expression.

"O-Oh," he started trying not to snicker at the image he thought up but a smirk already pulled the corners of his lips upward. His hands instinctively moving to cover his mouth to muffle his chuckling. It wasn't that he was making fun of him - alright, well, maybe a little - but it was just surprising. Extremely out of character to what Hinata saw during a game or even practice.

The setter whipped his head at the sound of giggles, cheeks aflame and expression fierce as he narrowed his eyes at the other, "What the hell is so funny!? I'm being serious!" He couldn't believe the other was laughing at him again. Wasn't it his idea to share things about themselves in order to become 'friends'? And now he was mocking him. He ground his teeth together, whipping his head to the side again with a sharp click of his tongue. His eyes fell to the window for a moment, waiting for his irritation to simmer down, before he allowed his narrowed gaze to fall back to the ginger.

"No, no! Sorry, it's just weird to imagine," the other admitted, his arms half-risen in mock surrender. Despite the apology, Hinata couldn't help but release a few more giggles. Clearing his throat to stop himself, his attention redirecting to the ceiling and eventually the window. He honestly didn't want to catch anymore of that look Kageyama was giving him. "It was just more of a past time I'd expect from other people... But, I dunno! I'm surprised is all."

"What about you, then?" Tobio asked, not releasing his hardened gaze this time. If the other wasn't going to control himself or purposefully mock him, then he wasn't going to try so hard to be nice. "What do you like besides Volleyball?" He moved his thumb along the side of his fist that lay on the table, flowing up and down the skin slowly. A very simple, subconscious act that always followed him when he was trying not to let his irritation control him.The ravenet mentally sighed, only letting the tension in his shoulders die down a small amount, though he kept his usual fierce gaze pinned to his face. Why the hell was something like cooking a surprise? Wasn't everyone taught to cook? Or rather, Hinata was surprised because he thought Tobio wouldn't be any good at it?

Oh, well if that was the case, he had another thing coming.

Turning his head back to face Kageyama, the small spiker brought his arms in, crossing them over the tabletop, "I do like playing video games. Mostly because Kenma gives me good ones. Oh! Spending time with my little sister or my friends when we're all free!"

Tobio was unsurprised by the fact he liked video games but felt his eyebrows raise when the small ginger mentioned his family. Tobio hadn't heard nearly anything about Hinata's family before, or from anyone in the team, in fact, except for Tanaka's older sister. So when the other mentioned a sister, he felt a spark of curiosity that lessened the intensity of his gaze ever so lightly.

"Your sister..." he started, trailing off for a moment before he twisted his arm up to lean his chin on his palm. "What's she like?"

"Ah, well her name is Natsu." Hinata informed his teammate, a heartwarming grin now taking his expression. There was a sort of pride when being able to talk about his sibling. "As for what she's like..." His eyes were twinkling with a new found excitement, "She's really cute and has _tons_ of energy. I really like spending time with her, but sometimes it's a real pain. It's hard to say no to her, though, especially when I get home from school and she gives me those _big_ hugs of hers." He paused a second to let out a light chuckle. "We do play a lot though. Specifically jump rope or a few video games. It's great!"

Tobio listened to the other with interest, eyes following his expressive movements as he explained his younger sister to him. The other looked happier than he almost had ever seen him outside of the court. It took him aback, raising his head from its slouched position and laying his arm over the table again, blinking curiously. The way warmth lit up the other's face and care was laced into his words as he described the smaller Hinata.

He felt a little jealous.

"Eh, so having a sibling is fun, then? What do you do when she gets out of control or lashes out?" His questions were honest, and for some reason he wasn't sure of why he'd asked them. They'd simply popped out of his mouth before he'd had a chance to process if they were appropriate to ask.

Blinking twice to show that it caught him off guard, Hinata had to take a second to ponder how to answer, "Huh- Eh? Well... She's just a little kid so I try to be mature about it, but I'd be lying if I said we never got into arguments." His smile faltered for a mere second as he thought of specific things he did when Natsu would misbehave or have an episode. That's what he figured 'lashed out' meant. "Usually, when she's being a brat and I haven't starting arguing back at her..., I try to explain things in a way she'll understand. Like if she wanted a toy, but couldn't have it. But sometimes it's best to let her whine about it until something else takes her attention off it. Or at least my mom says so and it seems to work. If that makes sense?"

He narrowed his eyes a bit when the other finished answering, blinking to quickly revert back to his original face, or even something a little less scary. Hinata was being unsurprisingly honest, despite the few seconds of hesitation in his answer. Tobio was surprised he hadn't questioned him on his choice of interest, and he used that opportunity to turn things back to a more positive direction. Or he would have, if a barista hadn't walked up to their table just then with their food on a tray. It was a male this time, tall with flaming red hair rolled in layers, and dark brown eyes that reminded Tobio of hardened bronze. His name-tag said Akagi and he looked like a college student. When he finished placing their dishes in front of the two high schoolers, Tobio thanked him after just a slight moment of hesitation, having been slightly caught off guard at the other's approach. The boy only nodded before turning and walking back behind the counter to join Hachimitsu.

Hinata let out a happy gasp as the food came into view, barely remembering to thank the male who brought it over as it was placed before him. He was more than ready to dig in and picked up the muffin gleefully. Peeling off a bit of the muffin wrapper, he lifted the pastry to his lips, and took a bite. Chewing the fluffy texture between his teeth while smiling at Kageyama. Usually he'd question why his expression got all sour again, but his food held much more value as of now. The taller boy turned to his plate and did the same, finding the balanced flavor and soft texture of his muffin quite fulfilling. His empty stomach praised him and ceased its annoying pawing, falling silent and still when he'd finished. His eyes flashed up to his team mate, watching him finish off he last of his own muffin, Tobio reaching over to lazily take his coffee and bring the opening of the lid to his lips, downing half its contents.

"So, what about your mom?" Tobio asked once he set his cup down, pushing his empty plate to the side and folding his arms in front of him on the varnished surface of the table. "What's she like?"

"Well, she's a mom?" Hinata replied. He honestly didn't know how else to describe his parent. "She's just the stereotypical mom. Cause like, she works but still takes care of us. She's really nice! But I kinda feel bad because she's always so busy." The sudden thought caused him to pout, but his smile returned just as fast as it fell. 

Tobio watched the other boy's face twist up this way and that as he tried to explain his mother. Usually he would have found Hinata's faces amusing, but his words left him with an awkward wrench in his chest. When the ginger said "stereotypical mom", he immediately thought of the kind of mom he had only seen from a distance; waiting to pick up their kid from school, gently holding their hand as they began walking home. Not his mother.

"What about your parents?" The ginger inquired, tilting his head a bit at the ravenet.

The question made the setter pause in his reach for his drink, eyes refocusing on reality and the chestnut orbs pointedly watching him, waiting for an answer. It was only half a second of hesitation before he grasped his drink and brought it to his lips, which suddenly felt dry, as did his throat.

"They're parents," he replied after a moment, not setting his drink down but letting it hang in his fingers, pinkie tucked under it so it wouldn't fall but he could keep his grip loose. "They work a lot. Used to do it at their businesses but now they work at home." His eyes dropped from the other's face to the transparent surface of his cup, watching the condensation build up before it grew too much and rolled off of the surface tension. "They're kind of strict, but whatever," he added before he brought the straw to his mouth once again, sucking lightly this time.

"I guess both our parents work a lot then!" Was the first thing the spiker blurted out, but he couldn't help asking the question that followed the statement. "Oh! So who do you look like the most?" His reasoning for asking was really immature, but he wanted to know who got Kageyama into making such faces or if there was a scarier parent or anything like that.

Hinata's pleasant mood and seemingly inability to pick up on another person's mood and body language ticked Tobio off, even as the ravenet rolled his shoulders forwards a bit and couldn't stop himself from looking away from Hinata to the side. He could feel his mouth try to frown but fumbling, twisting in a variety of waves as he subconsciously nibbled on the inside of his cheek. He paused in his answer as their waiter came up to their table and plainly asked to take his plate, to which he nodded. He also took the discarded muffin wrapping paper sitting crumpled in front of Hinata, turning away without another word. Mid swallow of his cocoa, Hinata noticed the waiter come over and choked on the fluid going down. With a few light punches to his chest he smiled and offered a raised hand as thanks. Chestnut orbs falling on Kageyama once the worker headed off. Still, Tobio was quiet a moment as his eyes fell to the drink in his hand, twirling his wrist lazily and watching through the transparent plastic as the liquid inside rolled in balanced waves over the melting ice.

It was one of the last things he wanted to think about. Still, he could remember much happier times when he was very little; some of the first things he remembered. His mother holding him during a bad storm, his father ruffling his hair when he won his first volleyball game. A framed family photograph sitting on the window sill in the kitchen, half blinded by rays of light that blurred out his parents faces and cast Tobio's own in a shadow.

His voice was quiet when he spoke, quieter than his normal speaking voice and certainly quieter than when he was shouting or picking fights. He gently placed his cup back on the table, blinking as he watched the condensation drip down the smooth surface once again before lifting his dark eyes up to the other's face.

"My father."

Hinata could picture it. Kageyama was rather masculine so if he got his intimidating face from his dad, he would probably just he extra careful around his teammate's father if they ever met. He couldn't help but remember how he too looked like his dad. Not the most welcomed topic since before he had a chance to stop himself, his thoughts drifted to the memories of a father. His father. An idea that left a dry taste in his mouth. It was something he didn't really think about often. Mostly due to the fact that a father figure was absent in his life. Or rather, was taken so suddenly. To take his mind off it; he downed the rest of his drink. Placing the empty cup to the side, discarding it, for whenever it would be taken.

"That must be awesome!" The ginger exclaimed.

"I suppose," the setter responded, wiping a drip and creating a clear streak over the condensation on the plastic of his cup. "He simply had the stronger genetics when it came to what I looked like." He could feel a heavy blanket trying to drape itself around his shoulders, weighing him down, so he straightened himself in his seat to shake it off. "What about you," he started, his eyes falling on the ginger, finding his smile to be more appealing than usual; not as irritating. "Who do you look more like?" Tobio really was bad at asking questions and just as bad at reading people as Hinata, having entirely missed the brief waver in his chipper facade. his fingers dancing over his cup, eyes watching the tips of his fingers as he made abstract lines cross and mingle over the smooth surface.

"I did look like my dad." The answer came out a little flat, especially for the energetic teen, but it was a fast reply accidentally worded in past tense, something Hinata didn't notice right away, but it wasn't like he'd be wrong to say it like that. When he went home, there was no dad to look like. No father to ruffle his hair and ask how his day was. There wasn't a friendly offer to play catch after dinner anymore. Not that the ginger was interested in other sports anymore, but it was something he still missed dearly. His stare now glued to the table as he let his head hang slightly. Unlike most, Hinata wasn't very good at hiding his feelings. Especially when nervous, scared, or upset.

Tobio was aware he'd said something wrong when the other's face dropped like a stone, watching chestnut eyes falling to the table silently. He wasn't blind, but he certainly didn't know how to handle such situations in such a passive environment. The atmosphere of the coffee shop was one that made moods linger for longer than they should, good ones and bad.

"Guess we're in the same boat," he replied quietly, letting his eyes fall away from the other's saddened face. He wanted to know the story behind it, but for once was too afraid to ask. He slammed his hands on the table as he abruptly stood up, the chair almost falling over as it was pushed back from his momentum. The female barista behind the counter jumped, startled, blinking brown eyes at the pair. "Alright! Let's go!" The sudden noise caused Hinata to jolt upright in his seat, eyes wide as he stared at Kageyama with a dumbfounded expression. He wasn't expecting that kind of thing in the middle of the conversation, but who would. Blinking curiously, he tilted his head to the side.

"Alright... Go whe- hey!" He inquired, cutting off as he was wrenched from his seat. He chuckled faintly. It wasn't because he found anything funny; he was just confused and didn't know how else to respond. Tobio held back enough to keep his actions from being too rough or his grip from being too tight. He bowed at the door to the baristas, thanking them for their service. Hachimitsu gave a small wave while Akagi simply watched them with faux disinterest, before Tobio lightly pulled his team mate out the door and back into the street. A little ways down the sidewalk, he let go of the smaller boy. Sliding his hands into his front pockets, he looked down at the other, "So, where to next?"

"Do I look like a little kid? What am I! I can walk by myself, Kageyama." Despite his annoying outburst, it was obvious that Kageyama doing that helped his attention to fall away from the previous topic they were discussing. After a moment of pouting, Hinata gave the question some interest. Shrugging in response almost immediately, but still thinking about possible destinations. "How about... the park?" He smiled at the idea and rested his hands on his sides as he awaited some kind of yay or nay from his teammate.

"The park?" Tobio parroted, raising a brow before cocking his head and looking away. The closest park was a solid twenty minute walk away, past Karasuno and towards where Hinata always came from. There was a huge field and a few play-sets for the younger kids. Even a few courts for sports. 

And a volleyball net. Or so Hinata had told him.

"Yeah, I suppose we could go to the park. It is sort of near the school so we wouldn't have to walk too far for practice." He glanced back over at the other, head tilted to the side in his direction. It wasn't a bad idea, and he'd brought his own volleyball because he always toted it around in case the opportunity presented itself to use it. He figured the other hadn't thought that far ahead, but his eyes fell on the strap slung over Hinata's shoulder, narrowing ever so slightly. "Oi, you said they have a volleyball court at that park, right? Did you bring a volleyball?"

"Oh yeah. Shoot! I forgot to bring one." Hanging his head in defeat, the ginger prepared to sulk about it. The ravenet blinked at the other, lips partially out in a confused pout before he sighed. He added an eye-roll for effect, and switched his weight to the hip he rested his hand on after removing both from his front pockets. The other waved through the air as he spoke.

"Well, I suppose it can't be helped. Since you don't even have a volleyball to practice with, we can't play volleyball and it's _all_ your fault!" He didn't really mean that, of course, he just wanted to mess with the ginger.

"H-Hey!" Hinata tried to cut in; hoping to defend himself but to no avail. Tobio quickly slid his bag to his front and unzipped it, retrieving his volleyball and tossing it to the other light enough for him to catch - which probably wasn't light at all.

"-Or that's what I _would_ say if I didn't come prepared." He huffed lightly and zipped up his bag, slinging it back behind him. "Lucky you."

"Stupid! If you had one, don't be like that!" The ginger complained, blinking his surprise away before casually resting the ball under his arm. He was secretly thankful that Kageyama brought one. He wasn't sure what they'd do in the meantime without it.

"I can be however I want," the ravenet retorted before sliding past the other boy and beginning the walk back to the school.

"Well that doesn't mean you have to be..." Staring at the ball under his arm, the smaller male pouted unhappily by Kageyama's teasing before following after him. walk was casual and relaxed, unrushed under the morning heat. He didn't want to break into a sweat before they'd even started practicing, or even reached the park. He partially wanted to change into his gym shirt so that he wouldn't get his long-sleeved on dirty but figured it probably wouldn't make a difference in the long run. Still, he was always willing to play volleyball. It was the single most important thing to him - above everything, even family. Especially family. If the court they were going to had a volleyball net, then he would use it until they had to leave to make it to practice on time.

He turned his head back to the ginger, looking over his shoulder as he spoke, "Well? Come on, you know where the park is. Lead the way." Hinata huffed, jogging in front of the ravenet so he could get them both to the park.

"Right!" He answered, a little embarrassed that he forgot he was the guide. But now he was grinning, glad he got to show his teammate the way now. It was kind of like paying him back for the coffee shop idea. Tobio followed without speed, as there was no need to rush and he was in no mood for a race. They would need their energy for practice, and he was already a little sleep-deprived and more irritable than usual, though he was certainly trying his hardest to contain it. Though when his deep blue eyes set on the small group of children prancing around the singular volleyball court in the park, he felt his eyebrow twitch and the corners of his mouth pull in a bit in irritation.

"Oi," he said, calling for the other boy's attention as he strode in front of him. "There's only one net and those kids are playing on it. What do you want to do?"

Hinata watched the children who were using the court. Glad to see that other kids were taking interest in the sport, but couldn't help feeling let down that they were using it right now.

"Uh, w-well..." The ginger stammered, trying to think of a new idea before he noticed the ball stray from it's path and away from the kids, into the direction of him and Kageyama. With no hesitation, Hinata shuffled around his teammate, shoving the current ball he was holding into the other's arms, and leapt into the air. "I got it!" He exclaimed once he managed to get a hold of ball the kids lost control of.

Tobio was about to spit a retort for the ball being roughly shoved into his hands, lips falling from the snarl they were twisting into as the other leaped into the air with ease and snatched the ball from its wildly out-of-bounds journey. Still, he glared at the ginger for a moment out of spite and mild irritation. "You're jump is weak," he huffed, unable to keep the kind of irritated look he would have normally had on in front of the smaller children running towards them. "Have you been neglecting your leg training?"

The spiker let a spark of irritation poke through as he shot a glare back at Kageyama. He was a little sore was all, not that he expected the other to pick up on that. Waving his arm defensively so he could point at the rude commentator. While his other hand was preoccupied with holding the ball he saved. "No! I've been working as hard as I always do!" There was a huff and a grunted 'well, not hard enough' under his breath but he let his foul expression fall.

The kids whose ball Hinata was holding belonged to trotted over, faces gleaming with awe at his jump and amazing catch. The group consisted of two boys and a single girl. The tallest of the group was calling out an apology until she finally reached the two strangers, panting softly, she tried to hide the flush on his freckled cheeks.

"I'm sorry about that!" The girl was clearly the eldest and had light brown hair that was pulled back into a ponytail, green eyes examining the high schoolers curiously. Behind her stood two boys; a blond, who was the shortest, and a darker brunet, who stood at middle height between the others. The children picked up on the intimidating vibe from Kageyama and the blond in the back shuffled in place, deciding it best to stay hidden behind their female friend, especially while the the high school kids were arguing, sweating nervously due to the glare on the ravenet's face. Meanwhile, the brunet stood proudly with his hands on his hips, watching the two with a raised eyebrow.

"Weirdos," he mumbled. This earned him a jab in the gut by the girls elbow, along with a hushed 'Shut up!'.

Tobio's eyes drifted to the group of kids that had bounded over, blinking at them a little curiously. He had never particularly cared for kids, and figured they wouldn't really like him - as hardly anyone ever did before he joined Karasuno - so he'd always kept away from them at family gatherings and parties. He actually took half a step back instinctively, even as his face remained as naturally scary as ever and his glare returned to Hinata. 

Suddenly remembering the tiny players before them, Hinata ignored the setter and smiled, offering the ball to the girl, "Ah, um... Here ya go! And don't worry about it." 

"Oi, you three," he said, side-stepping and bringing himself forward to stand next to his spiker. "You could have hurt someone letting the ball fly around like that. You're lucky this idiot has good reflexes." Maybe that sounded too angry, though. He didn't want to scare the kids away more than he probably already had with just his resting expression. 

The female thanked the shorter high schooler when he handed the ball over, but looked at Kageyama after he spoke up. She knew he was right and pouted. "Yeah, I know... It's just kind of hard to control the ball sometimes."

The setter still carried the volleyball underneath his arm, the other one swung low and hand thrown subconsciously into his pocket as he shifted his weight to one side. "Just what game were you trying to play?"

"W-Well, the goal is to get the ball over the net. I didn't hit it so hard on purpose." The brunet boy jumped in because it was his receive that sent the ball soaring in the first place. He wanted to defend himself while he had the chance. The tallest boy quirked a brow and gave the brunet boy an unamused look. Though anything resembling annoyance diminished when the girl gave another soft apology. He knew what it was like to not have control over the ball, having experienced the same thing when he'd had to adjust his tosses to allow Hinata and Tsukishima to control where their spikes go. It'd just been so difficult to have to control his tosses to be weak at just the right time instead of his usual power strike.

"There are plenty of games with that kind of goal, but I assume you meant volleyball." His eyebrow gave a twitch at the ball the young girl was now holding, his scary irritated face trying to creep onto his features, "But using a basket ball for volleyball is absolutely disgraceful."

"Well..." The boy fell back into silence and crossed his arms over his chest. His furrowed brow showed he had no retort for Kageyama. Joining his silent friend with a displeased grumble.

"Yeah, it is volleyball. We just didn't really have another ball to use so we were trying to make it work." The girl decided to clarify the situation since her friend seemed more interested in losing a debate.

"Mm, well maybe a real volleyball would help." Hinata chirped, rocking from heel to toe innocently as he eyed the volleyball in his teammates hands and then looked up at him. As much as he didn't want to admit it, he really started improving thanks to Kageyama's serves and the support of his team, of course. "Then we can play too!!" Hinata said gleefully, more to himself than anyone else. Not that everyone couldn't hear him, but it was also a better option than not having a net until practice.

Tobio merely huffed and saw what his team mate was getting at, he shifted the ball from one hand to the other and gave it a light toss to Hinata, "Fine, but only for a bit. We do have practice later." His reply was met with a fist shot into the air from his team mate as his 'yes!' was paired with the excited faces of the three kids before them.


	3. A Lie Wrapped In Gullibility

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kageyama comes to practice beat up and lies about the origins of his injuries, managing to fool most of the club. Hinata still confronts him about it and the end results are not good.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As promised, my OC's were a bit elaborated on. They'll be a low-key constant for cafe scenes and I'm planning to write an OG story with them later but for now, this story needs some more work.
> 
> Lots of Kagehina to come, just bear with the angst for now, you all can do that, right? Yeah, I believe in you.

A bit turned out to be much longer than he expected, stretching nearly four hours of him on the court, teaching each kid the basics of volleyball. He found kids were surprisingly easy to work with, especially when they saw his and Hinata's freak quick. Their faces were priceless and he felt the knot in his chest loosen up much more. The kids didn't want them to go when they had to, but Hinata promised them they'd practice together again before they ran off. Tobio was already exhausted when they got to the gym, just in time for Suga and Daichi to arrive with the keys. He leaned over himself, hands on his knees as he tried to catch his breath while the two seniors looked on in surprised.

"You two are certainly early," Daichi commented, giving them both a once-over.

Hinata offered the other duo a lopsided smile before nodding, "Yeah!"

Tobio pushed himself up after one last long exhale, eyes meeting those of his senior. An invigorated 'Of course' chorused with the ginger's response. He blinked dark eyes at them, waiting patiently for the door to the gym to be unlocked and another set of practice could take place where he could participate rather than teach. Surprisingly, he found that he liked teaching the younger kids to play the sport that gave him life. It seemed to give him a sense of joy from the sport he hadn't known was there; passing along his knowledge and skills to the next generation.

The captain nodded and offered them a smile, "Well, you can help set up then. I'm sure Tanaka and Nishinoya would be grateful."

Sugawara chuckled as Daichi turned to the door, waving a hand dismissively, "Yeah, we both know they're not very fond of morning practice.

Tobio could say practice went smoothly, minus a few irritating comments from the lanky peanut gallery with glasses. He'd gotten used to them but they still pissed him off when the name 'King' slid out. He didn't need any more reminders of what he used to be. He had enough in his head and at home. Needless to say he was reminded that very night when he went home just how terrible he used to be and still was, in the form of his father. And with his father came shouting and guilt and disappointment that would echo in his ears all night, only making the physical reminders that would bloom on his skin the next morning even more painful.

The bruise on his face he was positive he wouldn't be able to cover up, but he tried his damnedest to anyways when he eventually got up to get ready for practice again. He waiting till his parents were gone once more, but dared not use the front door this time, and instead slipped out of his window. He was grateful that his room was located on the first floor of the house, or the small distance to the ground would have hurt his sore legs even more than they already were. With his volleyball bag slung over his shoulder, he reached out and pulled out his phone to check the time. The little colon blinked loyally between a 7 and 23 next to the little 'a' and 'm' hanging near it. A quiet 'tch' hissed between his teeth as he realized he had hours until practice and nothing to do. Maybe he'd just go kill some time at the cafe again. It wasn't like there was much else to do.

 

\--

 

It was almost half past eight in the morning by the time he'd reached the Sweet Treat Cafe, the sky clouded over even after the sun had risen. It sought to reach through the thinnest parts of the overcast, its attempts to disperse them having failed. There was no warmth to be sought by it today, only the heaviness of humidity in the air that made breathing more difficult than usual. A sign that could only mean rain was on the way. Tobio yawned wide and without shame, the skin on his face pulling tight as his jaw stretched to its limits. It made his eyes water when he closed his mouth and he gave them a rub before returning his hand to the cup of coffee in front of him. He usually would not get something to eat, but since he had gotten absolutely no sleep at all the night before, he figured he would need something to bolster his energy for practice later that day. So a simple blueberry muffin sat beside his hands cupped around his cup, untouched and looking delectable.

But his mind was elsewhere, getting slammed around without mercy like a volleyball, bouncing against violent thoughts and memories that made the marks under his clothes ache subconsciously. He couldn't feel his face beginning to scowl, only his eyes staring into his cup without seeing the untouched liquid inside it. The usual barista behind the counter gave him a concerned look, glancing to her co-worker who just shrugged and went about restocking the fridge with cold to-go drinks.

Tobio's phone vibrated in his front pocket, and he lazily reach for it, flicking it open. Another text from Hinata.

'Hey Kageyama! Are you awake? Do you wanna do anything before or after practice? I woke up earlier than I was hoping for so I thought I'd offer. Lemme know!!'

That makes three days in a row the other had messaged him, asking to hang out before practice. The kid had just woken up and he already had more energy than Tobio would have all day. Then again, he had actually slept through the night. And didn't have to worry about things outside the court injuring him. He just started typing a reply, not really worried about speed so it took a few moments to type out.

'I'm at the cafe if you want to join me. I didn't really have anything planned until practice. It's up to you.'

He hit send without much thought and put his phone down on the table, too lazy to put it back into his pocket, and took his first sip of coffee since getting it nearly an hour ago. It was barely warm anymore, but he didn't mind cold coffee. It was the caffeine he was after, anyways.

He'd left his phone open, so when the reply came, it was a simple button press to open it.

'Sounds good! I'll probably be a while, but if you're okay with waiting I can be there!'

With the other coming here, he supposed he'd have to put on a face; he didn't want Hinata catching on that something was up with him. It was none of his business. It wasn't anyone's business. He didn't care how hard Hinata or anyone else tried to be his friend. It wasn't their business what went on in his house. He typed a quick reply, pausing for a minute to read it over quickly before sending it. Not because he was nervous, but he wanted to make sure he sounded normal. He may be oblivious to a lot of things, but he was hyper-aware of his attitude through texting as it was a physical thing he could read and edit.

'I will be. It's nice in here. Don't forget your wallet, though. I don't have enough to pay for you this time.'

The time dwindled by until the half cup of coffee that was wrapped by Tobio's hand was cold and he had long since spaced out, eyes vacant as they stared out the window. If he'd known his team mate was going to be this late, he would have declined the offer to hang out. But at the same time, he knew he would be here until near practice time. Most of the employees here knew him by name, since he came here quite often and they had to write it on the order ticket.

He also knew most of the baristas' names as well. The cute brunette that was often behind the counter during opening shifts was Narumi Hachimitsu, and she always had a smile for every customer. There was another girl that would sometimes work the opening shift instead of Hachimitsu; a sweet blonde girl named Suzume Manatsu who was more than a little clumsy but also good at cleaning up after herself, though she wasn't here today. The ginger that was often set to restocking the to-go items and making sure all the machines were clean and working properly was Hiroshi Akagi, and he also dealt with the customers who would give Hachimitsu and Manatsu a hard time. The guy was very polite and respectful but he did not tolerate harassment of his coworkers or other people for that matter, and had no problem telling rude customers to leave. Another boy named Yoichi Kanda with black hair and glasses only worked weekends or the morning shifts when Hachimitsu was unavailable. He'd often tried to pick fights with Hiroshi when they were put on the same shift schedule to no avail.

Tobio hardly spent his allowance money on anything but coffee and muffins, and Hachimitsu would sometimes chide him for it, saying how he needed to eat more than just muffins or he was going to get fat. Akagi would comment from the peanut gallery about how she only ever ate bagels when she worked and had no room to talk. It usually earned him a light-hearted and embarrassed series of slaps on the arm or back from the girl. The setter would usually sit there and work on homework or volleyball strategies, and sometimes watch the baristas interact when he was bored or stuck on something. He'd also had a few conversations with them outside of the usual ordering procedure. Tobio could tell that they worked well together and maybe were even friends outside of their jobs. 

It almost made him jealous of them.

Hinata finally walked through the door nearly forty-five minutes later, briskly walking over to Hachimitsu to order what he'd had the previous morning. He gave the room a once-over after ordering and spotted his team mate a little further back than where they'd been yesterday, giving an awkward-looking wave before walking over to sit down. "H-Hi, Kageyama!" The setter huffed and rubbed a finger of his half-empty cup, repressing a 'tch' from passing through his teeth as the other greeted him.

"Hey," he replied, slipping his phone back into his front pocket. "What took you so long?" 

After sitting down, Hinata removed his bag and set it down beside him, offering a sheepish look to his teammate. Nobody wanted to admit they got lost, but in his defense he'd only been here once.

"I didn't know where I was-" That was probably the only way to answer. With honesty. His eyes found the table when his head hung forward. Staring down in disappointment at his own mix up. He seemed to get lost a lot, not that Kageyama was any less guilty. Unlike Hinata, he just seemed to know the area better; a point he decided he'd bring up if he was teased for getting lost, slowly returning his focus to the others face.

Tobio only sighed, and looked to the window before giving a snarky comment in return, "I'm not surprised with how spacey you get all the time." He ignored whatever comment the other would make. This wasn't how you made friends, but he ached too much to give a damn about being friendly right now. Still, maybe he should be nicer? Shit, what would Sugawara do? He had absolutely no idea.

"You're one to talk," the ginger grumbled under his breath. Seeing as it was ignored, he too decided to drop the topic. 

"Hey, Hinata," The setter started after a moment, still looking outside and watching people pass by, cars driving lazily down the road. "Why were you up so early the past two days if practice wasn't until the afternoon?"

"Hm," shrugging, Hinata rested his hands in his lap. "I just wake up early sometimes. It depends on when I go to sleep. Which is usually okay, unless I can't sleep." Falling silent after his answer, he decided to follow up with the same question. "You seem to be up whenever I am too. Do you always get up early?"

He pondered the question for just a moment, one hand loosely wrapped around his cup and his index finger softly tapping it periodically. How did he answer that question? Did he tell him the truth? Did he lie? Did he avoid it entirely and change the subject?

'I want to get to know you and trust you outside the court!'

"I'm usually up fairly early, no matter what time I go to bed." He turned back to his team mate now, thankful he'd remembered to cover up the bags under his eyes and the small bruise that had appeared on his cheek from the hit to the face he had taken the night before when his father had started an argument with him. "I'm not really a heavy sleeper, either."

"Really?" The ginger replied, blinking, "I guess that makes sense!" As an athlete he figured Kageyama would get up early. For jogging, school, practice, or otherwise. That's why Hinata got up early and it was a routine by now, not that sleeping schedules were the most entertaining topic to have. Resting his head in his hands he pondered where to bring the conversation now. Glancing over at other people, the counter, and then the menu. Which reminded him of something he heard yesterday; Kageyama can cook. There was an interesting thing to being up. "Hey, hey! Kageyama. You said you cook, right? Are you actually good? What did you learn to make first?"

The setter was taken aback by the question, and it showed a bit on his face when his eyebrow raised and his eyes widened before they fell into a more curiously concerned look.

"I'd say I'm pretty good, since I have to cook all my own meals usually and they never taste bad." He quickly downed the rest of his coffee and put it to the side for Akagi to take, who'd been eyeing it for the past half hour. He watched as the large ginger walked over with his team mates drink in hand and placed it in front of the smaller ginger, reaching over to grab the empty cup as he returned back to the counter. "My grandmother started me off with rice balls and meat buns, because they were the easiest to make." His eyes narrowed as he looked to the side a little put off, "I put too much salt in the first batch though... "

"Ah, you should make some!" Hinata chirped, a wide grin still blessing his lips. "If you're as good at making food as you are giving tosses, I'd wanna try it."

"Why should I if we can just buy them at the Hill-bottom Store?" Tobio eyed the muffin he'd bought nearly an hour ago, and he couldn't tell if the pain in his stomach was from hunger after not eating the day before or from the multiple hits he had taken to the gut before his mother and finally wrenched his father off of him. Though, talking about food made his stomach growl and he picked it up and began breaking off a small piece to eat. Testing the waters to see how rocky they were, so to speak. "I'm sure everyone would just say they were good to be polite," he added after finding that putting food in his mouth didn't make him want to hurl. So he swallowed and picked off another chunk, "And even if they were good, I'm sure Tsukishima would give some snide comment about it."

He looked up at his partner, eyes narrow but eyebrows high as a small grin picked at the corner of his lips, "Unless you want me to make you some special, just~ for~ you~?"

"W-What? No!" The fluffy ginger stuttered, shoulders raising as he replied a little too loudly, "I-I was just saying it would- It's not like we ever do anything beside eat and play volleyball so I figured, like, ya know?" The hand gestures that came with this sentence were elaborate but came to a stop along with his words. "It could save money too..." Reaching for his cocoa, he tested the temperature with his lips. Looking towards the window before taking a sip. That was a little embarrassing so he kept his focus towards the town.

Maybe that was a little much. The taller boy picked off an especially large chunk of muffin and threw it into his mouth, trying not to focus on the heat prickling his cheeks and the tips of his ears that hid under his choppy hair; he really did need a haircut. He was just teasing the other a little bit, even got the stammering reaction and wild hand-waving he anticipated form it. But he felt a little embarrassed from it, for some reason. There was an awkward silence between them, but for some reason it was lighter than their usual ones. Tobio decided to break it with a cough.

"Well, if you buy the ingredients, then maybe I could come over and make some for you," he grumbled, picking up his muffin to take an actual bite out of it. He swallowed before he'd chewed it much, feeling his throat open up a little easier after it. "I could even teach you and then we could make them for the whole team so Daichi wouldn't have to buy them for us all the time."

Hinata blinked a couple times at to make sure he wasn't hearing a mistake, "O... Okay!" He could have his mom pick up anything they needed next time she went shopping too, as long as he got all the ingredients. "You have to text me a list of what you need before we make plans to do that though."

 

\--

 

The rest of their time was spent with similar chatter. Questions about Kageyama's cooking seemed to pour out of the middle blocker's mouth for a while. Ranging from if he knew how to make some of Hinata's more favored dishes to ones he didn't particularly like - without categorizing any them to be either of those things - later followed by what Kageyama's favorite food to prepare was.

When it grew closer to 10 a.m. they both got ready to leave for practice, walking back to the school and gym at a similar pace until it turned more into a jog. It wasn't even close to noon yet, and even with the sun hidden behind the vast overlay of stormy grey clouds, the heat and humidity were intense. Tobio had no idea how the temperature could change so quickly and the jog was making him regret his choice to throw on his work-out sweater under his jacket. But he needed it to keep himself safe, keep him covered. He only hoped the inside of the gym wouldn't be too hot.

He found out the gym wasn't too hot, it was absolutely blistering. Seriously, how in the heck did the temperature even rise this quickly? They only lived in Japan, not like Australia or something. The weather should be more consistent than this. Half an hour into practice and he was sweating more than the rest of them, feeling the heat pulsating under his sweater. But he didn't want to take it off, he couldn't. He knew if he did, everyone would start pestering him with questions about the bruises they would no doubt see just under the sleeves of his shirt and decorating his biceps. He already knew his sweat was going to remove his cover-up on the mark on his face sooner or later. Maybe he should just get it over with now. Any hesitation to do so would cause even more suspicion.

Sugawara came over to after a series of tosses and rested a hand on his shoulder lightly, "Kageyama, you should really take your sweater off. It'll be bad if you overheat and can't practice for a while, right?" At the hidden mention of having to sit out, Tobio looked horrified. It soon faded to uncertainty and hesitation which his team mate quickly noticed. Even if he was good at hiding his emotions and fears, Sugawara would have still been able to pick them out. The silveret offered him a smile, "What's up? Did something happen?"

What did he say? Should he lie? Should he tell the truth?

No, never tell the truth. But make the lie believable.

"I got in a fight the other night on my way home, and I got kind of beat up." He was speaking quietly so only Sugawara could hear him, as he didn't want anyone else worrying about his well-being. It could lead to him getting benched or even forced to sit out of practice for a few days. The very thought made his skin crawl. But he wasn't going to hold the team back like that. That wasn't a lie. "I don't want anyone to get worried and get distracted from practice, so I was trying to hide it..."

The other setter looked a little concerned but gave the other's shoulder a firm but not too hard pat and a smile, "You won't distract us, Kageyama. It's our job as your team mates to know what's going on with you so we can make sure you're alright and can play to the best of your ability." He grin widened but held up his pointer finger as he added another comment, "Though, you need to tell Daichi and Coach Ukai about it, because if your injuries get worse during practice because they're working you too hard, you'll have to sit out for sure."

Tobio looked absolutely horrified at that, the intense fear of being benched once more setting in despite the face of nervous determination he put on, "I-I got it..."'

At that moment, Hinata decided to jog over , grinning enthusiastically at them both, "Can I have a couple tosses?" His hands shot up to mimic they way they would send the ball into the air, though it was sloppy and poorly-imitated. For once, Tobio felt lucky that Hinata had interrupted them. The other's sharp, loud voice piercing through his nerves and sent him reeling back to reality. Sugawara seemed surprised as well, having not seen the small ginger approaching them. He gave a quick laugh as he stepped forward, offering to toss for him. He waved Tobio off to go talk to the Coach, and the dark-haired setter gave a hesitant nod before turning to walk away. 

Daichi gave his setter a curious look and was only met with a concerned smile before Sugawara gestured for Daichi to follow the other. Sugawara gently pushed Hinata towards the net, calling over to Tsukishima to block for Hinata and for Yamaguchi to throw them balls.The captain followed after Tobio, though a little slower than him so the setter could get to the coach first. Ukai looked up as one of his players approached him, a brow raising curiously before the teacher next to him, Takeda, also looked up.

"Kageyama? What's up?" Ukai asked, turning his attention to the boy. He never usually came to him for advice, even if he was good at taking it.

"Um..." It's alright, breathe. Just give them the same lie. Don't change it or they'll notice, he thought to himself. "I was going to keep this to myself but Sugawara told me I should tell you and Daichi about it."

"What's going on?" Speak of the devil. His reliable captain came forward to stand beside him. "Tell us about what?" Breathe. They'll understand. The more nervous you are, the more they'll be suspicious.

"I... got in a fight the other night on my way home," he started, trying to keep his eyes on his coach. "I got beat up a bit and I didn't want to distract the team, since the marks are all over my arms, so I've been wearing the work out sweater."

"I was curious as to why you hadn't taken it off in this heat," Ukai responded, looking as composed as ever. He blinked, noting the nervous grip Kageyama had his fists in and the uncertain furrow to his brow. He was probably afraid that the coach would bench him if he thought he was straining himself too much and increase his injuries. "Well, as long as they're not too bad, you should be fine Kageyama," Daichi said reassuringly, lending a simple hand to his team mate's shoulder. "So go ahead and take the sweater off and practice all you want. But please be careful about overexerting yourself!"

"Y-Yeah..." The setter replied, giving the three of them a nod of thanks once Ukai had given him the go-ahead to return to practice.

"I don't think he was hiding it to keep us from worrying," Daichi said after a moment, watching Kageyama go. "I think it was because he didn't want you to make him sit out or bench him during the practice matches later." The coach sighed, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees, hands hanging between them,

"Probably. That would be something he would do." He also watched the setter for a moment before giving Sawamura leave to go back to practice, "Keep an eye on him for me, Sawamura. Let me know if he's straining himself too hard." The captain nodded and jogged off to join the others, returning to where he was doing receive practice and calling Tanaka and Ennoshita over.

Tobio walked over to the group slowly, only moving to take off his sweater once he was nearing the wall where his break things were placed, his team mates heavily sucked into their free practice. Well, all of them except the snarky bean pole who kept making jabs at Hinata who couldn't get a spike directly past him with Sugawara.

"Ah, well, better luck next time, short stuff," the blond sneered, looking down at the other after coming to rest on the ground again. "And the next time, and the next time, and the next time..." he trailed off as Daichi loomed behind him on his way to the other side of the court, feeling the intensifying angry-dad vibe coming from their captain.

Sugawara was as supportive as ever, giving Hinata a pat on the shoulder paired with a "Don't mind, don't mind! You'll get the next one!"

The small spiker immediately turned to the older setter, face glowing in eagerness to continue, "O-One more!" But when he finally noticed Kageyama over by their break stuff, he shot a glance at Sugawara, as if asking to be let free to go bother his usual setter. Suga just gave him a nod and let him run off, sighing with a smile, placing the back of his wrist on his hip as he watched the tiny spiker dash towards the other setter. Daichi gave him a concerned look but he shrugged and waved him off. Sugawara knew the connection between Setter and Spiker were important and the one between those two first years was intensely strong, even if they did fight a lot.  

"Kageyama!" Sliding to a halt beside the setter, Hinata grinned. "I want a quick. Send me a toss!" Tobio jolted when he heard the voice of his spiker, turning to look at him with raised brows. His sweater was mostly off, having paused in the middle of sliding it over his head and arms, so it still hung bunched over his limbs. He blinked at the absolutely beaming face aimed at him before dropping his face to one a little more done.

"What, like this?" He tilted his head a bit, giving the other a faux curious look, "How am I supposed to set when my arms are tangled in my sweater?"

"Of course not!" Stomping his foot on the ground, the ginger cocked his head to the side, obviously aware that Kageyama was teasing him. One hand came up to rest his fingers on his chin as he started thinking. "...Unless you can actually do that?" By no means did he believe Kageyama could accurately send anyone a toss wearing his sweater like that. His face practically radiated skepticism, yet he asked anyways to see if Kageyama would actually try.

Tobio felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up, wanting to take the challenge but not look like a fool while Tsukishima was there to make fun of him. Still, he couldn't stop himself from retorting.

"I bet you I could!" He snorted but turned away again. "But like hell I'm gunna give that irritating dumbass over there another reason to jab at me." He finished off the sentence by pulling his sweater the rest of the way off and throwing it to the ground next to his water bottle and volleyball bag. His turn was swift, his strut strong as he grabbed a volleyball from the bin without looking at anyone, his arm muscles aching a bit as he grabbed the ball and turned back to his partner. "Alright, let's go."

"Right!" Hinata chirped back. Now that Kageyama had a ball in hand, he felt his gaze drawn to it. In turn, that had his gaze moving to Kageyama's arms. Nishinoya was someone he knew to be bruised up a lot, since first meeting him in fact. This looked different though and the shorter male found himself staring a moment.

Tobio walked over into position, handing the ball to Sugawara to toss to him. He was trying hard to ignore Hinata's and even Sugawara's and Yamaguchi's stares at his arms. Tsukishima was silent for only a moment before a snide comment was out of his mouth.

"Hey, King, maybe you should have your fool there do the fighting for you." Yamaguchi broke his stare and snickered a bit as Tsukishima continued. "You look pretty beaten up. Are you sure you can toss without your arms falling off?"

Tobio whipped around to growl at him, "Huh!? Maybe I should set it into your face four-eyes, so you can see I can still toss just fine!"

"If he can still set then he won!" Hinata wasn't oblivious to Kageyama's love for setting, it was even shared with him on occasion. If Kageyama could still play volleyball and be the setter, it was fine. Not that he wanted to end it on that note, as he turned his attention directly to Kageyama, "What did happen though? Maybe we could help next time. We're supposed to be your allies!" Tobio would have been flattered by his spiker's quick defense, but this was a battle he could fight himself. He didn't need his 'fool' smack talking for him.

"Hah?" He growled, turning to Hinata now, "I got in a fight with a group of students who live in my town but go to a different school. It's no big deal; stuff like that happens all the time where I live." He turned his face away, trying not to let his irritation slip out. His lack of sleep for the past few days was probably a helping factor towards it. By this time Tanaka had made his way over, followed by Nishinoya, his face shadowed with anger and making one of those stupid faces again.

"What's this? Someone decided to pick a fight with our setter?" He coed darkly, cracking his knuckles. "You just point them out to me and let your senior do the rest, Kageyama!" Tobio's gaze was narrow, having caused exactly what he'd been trying to avoid by taking his sweater off. The ruckus was drawing everyone's attention now, and he just wanted the subject to be gone.

"Huh? If it happens all the time you should have said something sooner. If you can't stop something by yourself, you have people to fall back on!" Nishinoya didn't hesitate to join the 'support for Kageyama bandwagon'. As the libero, he felt compelled to cover his teammates. Offering a friendly punch to his partner in crime. They both seemed more than willing to fight for their young setter. "I know that Ryu and I have got your back!"

Hinata decided to get the last word by jumping in; quite literally, "Yeah, I got your back, Kageyama!"

"I can take care of myself!" He hissed back. Just go practice somewhere else if you're going to bother me about things that don't concern you, he added inwardly. "I've got my own back, dumbass," he huffed at the ginger and glanced at the second years. His face fell to a light pout, his irritation dying down. They were all so annoyingly persistent sometimes, but he felt a little more at ease knowing they were so willing to help him without even knowing the situation. "I don't need any of you to cover for me."

"Ahh, Kageyama, come on!" That wasn't sitting well with Tanaka, who went to give Tobio a few hearty slaps on the back after returning Nishinoya's friendly punch. "We may be team mates, but we can cover your ass inside and outside of the court" Tobio jolted from the slaps, each one sending pain splintering down his back from the under-shirt bruises. Though he tried to keep his composure. Sugawara though, ever the perceptive one in the team, caught sight of it like a moth to a night light.

He moved over, putting a hand on Tanaka's shoulder in an attempt to gently push him away, grinning, "Maybe before you offer to fight for Kageyama, you should actually learn how to be scarier than him, Tanaka."

"Suga, how cold..." Tanaka whimpered, falling back a few steps as he heard Nishinoya laugh behind him. Tobio merely huffed and nodded thanks to the other setter who pushed his two persistent team mates to the other side of the court for spiking and receive practice. Suga gave him a smile before telling Tanaka if he didn't want to hit his tosses, he could go do push-ups instead, which shut the loud spiker up immediately.

"You're so stingy!" Hinata yipped at the dark-haired setter. Whatever confrontation he had with Tanaka and Nishinoya was over now. He started fidgeting as he watced the two be ushered off by the team mom. Now it was just him and Kageyama. How uncomfortable.

Yamaguchi and Tsukishima had broken off and regrouped to talk while Tobio turned to Hinata and blinked, "Well, are we going to practice or not? You were so greedy for a quick, I'm surprised you're just standing there staring." He leaned over, face nearing the other's, "What, is your stomach hurting you again? You're fidgeting."

"Of course we are! My stomach is fine-" He huffed loudly at his setter before pulling back and turning away. He might as well get into position since Kageyama seemed ready. He'd have to wait to bring up the other school that fought tall, dark, and stupid later on. "Let's go!" His thoughts tilted in favor of volleyball. Eyes shining with anticipation as they focused in on Kageyama and then the net.

Finally, some peace and quiet to concentrate on spiking. The ginger seemed to have backed off for now and he hoped that it would stay this way. He inhaled through his nose, exhaling slowly out his lips as he re-centered his focus. Dark eyes fell to his spiker. He watched him back up, start his run, gain speed and then jump. All of his trust was put into Tobio's toss as his eyes slid shut without hesitation and his hand started to back-peddle his arm for the swing. His stance was perfect, even if his back was a little sore from bending, his neck craning reluctantly to allow his eyes to land on the ball. The setter zeroed in on the point of impact effortlessly, watching as Yamaguchi tossed him the ball to set. He reached for it, readied the bed that was his fingertips and sent it flying back.

But his power was off, his arms screaming as he tried to shoot the ball forward too fast and too hard. It veered off-course, too short and under Hinata's swing, bouncing to the ground by the time his spiker had made his full motion, empty-handed. He was silent for a moment before a snicker from Tsukishima made him flinch.

"Ah, what's this, has the King finally fallen amongst us commoners?" The gangly blond sneered, "He can't even set his renowned freak quick."

"You fucking brat! I'll toss it into your face next time!" Tobio hissed, whipping around to the middle blocker behind the net.

"You've already used that threat," Tsukishima replied plainly, unamused and earning another series of snickers from Yamaguchi.

Hinata gave the setter a dissatisfied stare, "Oi, Kageyama!" The teen leapt up and down, pointing towards the runaway ball. He'd picked up on the situation mostly thanks to Tsukishima's commentary, since he obviously wasn't looking to see what had happened himself. Tobio turned away from his attacker with a sharp and angry 'tch!', moving to the bin and tossing Yamaguchi another ball to throw him.

"Sorry, Hinata. It was a little short. I'll get it this time." At least, now that he knew what to expect from his body, he knew how to adjust so that he wouldn't make the same mistake twice. Yamaguchi and Tsukishima exchanged a look before the taller of the two looked away and lazily moved back into blocking position. Yamaguchi gave the ball a high toss, giving Tobio plenty of time to get back into setting position. This time, though, he readjusted for the limitations of his injuries, and when he shot his freak quick for Hinata, it sailed exactly where it was supposed to and got sucked into his spike. He gave a a solid, 'yes!' with a fist pump, ignoring the ache in his arms.

"How was that, Tsukishima?" He gloated, shooting an overly-satisfied look at the noodle giving him a rather discontent glare. "Can your lowly peasant block compete with our royal quick?"

"Yes!!" Tucking his elbows close to his chest to celebrate the success in tune with Kageyama, Hinata stuck his tongue out at Tsukishima to help gloat. "That was way better!" He said while rising his right hand to his grumpy teammate's face. "So I guess I accept your apology."

Tobio gave the other a disgruntled look at the latter comment, so he made sure to give his hand and extra-hard slap of victory, "Keep talking like that and you'll get another head-squeeze."

They continued to do more quicks, Tobio adjusting to the level of maneuverability of his arms. They still hurt, and the pain continued to gradually increase as he worked them more, but he refused to let them stop him from playing. He didn't make a face at the pain, he didn't let his tosses falter. But near the end of free practice, his tosses started slowly to miss one-by-one, to not only Hinata, but to Tanaka, who had come over when Sugawara was called over to Daichi, and to even Tsukishima, who was told to practice spikes. He found himself getting more irritated as his arms sent out pain signals to his brain, and after another missed quick to Hinata, he found himself bending over, hands on his knees, sweat dripping off his chin as he took a moment to catch his breath.

"Hey, Kageyama, why don't you take a break?" Tanaka suggested, one hand on his hip.

"No! I'm fine!" The setter quickly responded, looking up from where he bowed to the older team mate. "I can still go!"

"Yeah, I'm sure you could and that's fine and all," the second-year raised a brow, looking a little concerned at his junior. "But we wouldn't want you to have to sit out. And your tosses aren't really hitting their marks. Why don't you give your arms a rest and take a quick break with us?"

Tobio wasn't satisfied, but he forced himself to stand anyways, walking with fierce shoulders to where his break stuff lay. He ignored another comment from Tsukishima as he passed him but he could feel the intense heat searing over his back from the gaze of the smol spiker. It was burning, threatening to rip away the layers of his skin, yet a shiver went up his spine.

He never knew how the little player could have such a giant presence.

He grabbed his water, opened the port, and squirted an intense stream of water into his mouth before his own eyes turned to meet those of Hinata. His thin eyebrows were already set deep over his eyes, giving them a dark shadow over dark irises.

"What?" He growled, "Go ahead and say it! Say my tosses are shit like four-eyes over there is doing."

"Your tosses are amazing!" The ginger insisted with an earnest voice. "But your arms are making them seem like poop." He stared at the floor for a moment before glancing back up at the other, concern written into his face. "Why won't you let us help with these jerks? If you can't play, we can't stay on the court!"

"Because it's none of your business!" Tobio's voice was a hiss, his eyes shooting daggers. But his anger was not directed at Hinata, who'd done nothing wrong and only tried to console him. He was angry at himself, for not only letting himself down, but instilling worry in his team mate. That one fact made him angrier, for some reason. And the ginger was painting a big red target on his forehead by insisting on the earlier-dropped subject. "I can take care of myself," he added, refusing to look away this time. "I'm just not on my game today. My arms are fine."

"Can you stop with this me talk? In case you forgot we're on a team and this effects all of us!" His persistence was unyielding no matter what Kageyama had to say. "You're full of it!" Obviously the small player wasn't going to drop it. Determined to find a solution to the current issue for the greater good of their sport.

"And you're fuller of it!" It was the best comeback he could think of in his irritation, face visibly darkening. "We may be a team but I'm my own person who can handle my own problems!" Even if he was removed from the court, he knew the other spiker would be fine with Sugawara. He wouldn't be replaced so easily. His physical abilities were too great. But Tobio wanted to stay on the court even longer than him. The fear that was clawing at the back of his mind, squeezing his heart in his chest till he felt like it was going to explode, was too real. The intensity of the other's persistence was almost... scary. He didn't know what to do; he felt like he was backed into a corner despite standing right next to the door with an escape at every angle. It scared him and the only thing he could do when he was scared was retaliate, hard. "Don't go acting like what happens to me is any of your business just because we hung out a couple of times outside of the court!"

"Why you-" Instinctively, he shot his hand up to grab Kageyama by the collar, yanking the setter closer to his face. "If that's how you feel we don't have to bother anymore! But don't tell me this isn't my business at all because we have to stand on this court together!" Tobio could only glare at the ginger as he was ripped forwards to the spiker's height by the front of his shirt, faces merely inches apart and the heat between them more intense that the air outside. If the friction was visible, it'd be similar to little sparks of electricity zipping around them.

Tsukishima looked amused, safe on the other side of the net. Yamaguchi was a little less amused and more terrified by the loud exchange between them.

Tanaka was caught off guard by their bickering erupting into almost a full-fledged fight that echoed across the gym, hands partially up in both defense and to make the calm-down gesture, "Hey, hey, guys, let's take it down a notch before Daichi gets mad..." 

Daichi decided this was a good moment to intervene, having let it escalate hoping the two were merely bickering and would sort it out. He stepped over to the two and put his hands between them, harshly shoving them away from each other. 

"Alright, that's it," he said sternly, giving each of them a fierce look. "You two are not to practice together for the rest of today until you have calmed down." He looked over at Tobio, "Kageyama, go practice setting with Tanaka. And Hinata-" he turned to look at the small ginger still shooting daggers at the dark-haired setter, "hit spikes with Sugawara." The setter merely gave out a 'tch!' and turned away, strutting angrily back to the court past Tanaka who sent his captain a concerned look before following after the setter. Hinata's only sign of backing off was his release of Kageyama's shirt. Simply because their captain arrived to intervene on the feud, pushing the two away before things could escalate further. Not that he let go of that passionate aura around him. Not until Kageyama turned to leave first. Then, and only then, did he offer Daichi a glance before jogging to the court to practice with Sugawara.

Practice went on as usual, but the uneasy atmosphere created by the fighting first years was heavy and quiet. Most sounds were that of squeaking sneakers, spiked balls and calls for tosses. They started practice matches and Tobio forced himself to do well in them, despite the obvious strain on his arms. Ukai would have switched him but after watching the fight between the setter and Hinata, he decided it was best to leave him on the court and not damage his mental state any more. By the time practice was called to end and the gym cleaned up and evacuated, Tobio was utterly exhausted. He still had a long walk home but he hoped working himself this hard today and the extra emotional turmoil would make sleeping easier tonight. The air was cool on his sweat-covered skin, so he tossed his sweater inside his bag and started his journey into the night. Despite being relieved that he could now walk home, fierce brown eyes had burned themselves into his mind, filled with anger over an underlying concern for him. He shook his head, hoping the uneasy feeling dragging at his shoulders would fall off in the time it took him to get home. He had enough to worry about at home.

Hinata found himself unsure what to do about his situation with Kageyama. Even during clean up, he found himself dwelling. It certainly ruined his original plan of becoming friends, but he wasn't sure how willing he was to accept Kageyama's attitude. He was even less willing to allow another tense practice where he couldn't receive any of his setter's tosses. He must have been obvious with his over thinking because Sugawara ended up coming to join him, that look on his face where he knew something was wrong and wanted to help.

"Hey." Jolting upright, Hinata brought his attention to his senior. The thought that he was in trouble for causing such an uproar with Kageyama today passed through his mind, but the patient smile on Sugawara's face helped set his nerves at ease and shoo the idea away.

"Oh, Sugawara!" He wasn't sure how to follow up, but instinctively felt like he should apologize. Suga did end up having to help separate him from Kageyama and he hoped it wasn't an inconvenience. Bowing his head before returning to an upright position, "I'm sorry!"

Waving a hand dismissively, the third year shook his head, "I think that apology is for somebody else, Hinata. I know you're worried about Kageyama, but pushing the topic like you did today won't help either of you."

"Yeah..." The ginger sighed, beginning to fiddle with his fingers and looking to the side. "But I just- He's so- He thinks he has to handle everything by himself and he doesn't!" He turned large brown eyes to those of his senior setter, the look of underlying distraught shadowed in the creased of his brow, "We're his team mates! He should know he can count on us instead of trying to do things on his own. But he's so darn stubborn that I just... got mad at him." He hung his head guiltily, hands dropping to grip the hem of his shirt. "I'm trying really hard to be friends with him outside the court and at first I thought it was going really well, but now I've ruined it..." He trailed off as his grip on the fabric tightened.

The silveret before him blinked a few times before looking to the side, running some scenarios in his head as a hand came up to rest on his chin, "Well, maybe there's something else that's bothering Kageyama, or perhaps he really just doesn't want us getting distracted from volleyball to worry about him." He looked back at his junior with a smile as the small ginger raised his head again, "I'm sure if you genuinely apologize for digging into his business, he'll forgive you." He gave the younger boy a small smile, "He seems like that kind of guy to me, as scary as he is sometimes."

The spiker blinked at him again, finding himself cheered up a little, "I could try that."

"Ah, but if you want to make up with him, it would be better to do it sooner rather than later," Sugawara chimed, raising his index finger with the thought. "If you leave now, you can catch up to him. I'll cover for you."

"Really?" Hinata's eyes sparkled at his senior, face awed and thankful before he turned and ran for the doors, shouting a thank you as he left. Sugawara gave him a thumbs up and a winked smile before the small ginger disappeared around the doors and out of sight. The spiker quickly unlocked the chain on his bike so he could push it beside him while pursuing his teammate. When he actually caught a glimpse of Kageyama, he felt a little nervous. Various scenarios of him trying to apologize to Kageyama zoomed through his head, all ending in failure, so he decided to just follow Kageyama home. This way if anything did happen, he'd be there to help. He glared at any poor soul that walked by, growling low under his breath while he kept his distance from the large setter.

Tobio could feel remnants of his earlier irritation scratching behind his eyes. He knew Hinata was following him, having heard the sounds of bike wheels and footsteps that he knew all too well. He didn't want to deal with the other boy, after earlier. It hadn't been his place to try and nose his way into Tobio's business. But after nearly halfway to his house and watching multiple passer-bys glance behind him and scoot off in fear, he gave up on ignoring him and decided to do something.

He stopped in the middle of the road once there was no one around for the other to scare off, pausing for a moment before only halfway turning around to look back at the other with a signature glare. Though not one from their argument earlier, but one of his usual sleep-deprived irritation. His eyes settled on the smaller boy who was following him, their surroundings quiet and the light from a nearby lamp post illuminating their figures.

"Why are you following me?" He asked, moving his hands inside the pockets of his sweatpants. "Didn't you already bother me enough earlier, or did you just want to continue where we left off?" In all reality, he really didn't want another confrontation with Hinata, already behind beyond sore and exhausted from practice and their fight and still having to go home and try to avoid his parents. Another argument would be pointless and destructive to whatever friendship they had been trying to create, if it wasn't completely destroyed already.

"I wasn't planning on following you!" Hinata found himself shouting before he could stop himself, clearing his throat a bit before continuing, "I was trying to say... that I'm sorry. And that you were right, it wasn't my business, but when I came to tell you I kind of thought-" He accidentally dropped his bike while trying to use his hands to help get his brain going, quickly bending over to pick it up to keep talking. "I thought it would be better if I just got you home safe in case any big-shots got any ideas." That probably could have came out better and when it got silent for a mere second, he quickly added: "Oh, but I definitely don't want to fight!"

The apology caught him off guard, making his eyebrows raise in surprise, but when the other dropped his bike on accident he found himself regaining his composure to something much less scary and more curious. He hadn't actually expected the other to walk home with him in fear of him getting attacked again, much less want to make amends for their fight earlier. There were no actual 'big-shots' who would threaten him, besides the one in his house who would really only lay a hand on him if he was drinking. Which meant it was safe for his team mate to make it back on his own. Still, he didn't want Hinata to get caught up in the tornado shit-storm that was his home life. He didn't deserve that. None of his team mates did.

Maybe he better apologize as well.

"It's fine," he started, looking off to the side a bit. "It was my own fault for keeping you in the dark when you were trying to be friends." He shuffled a foot on the ground, kicking a few loose stones over the cement sidewalk before looking back up at the other. "So I-" He bit his lip nervously, eyes dashing to the side again. "I don't care if you walk home with me. But you better keep up!" He added the last part as he turned to continue walking down the path again, unaware of the small smile he was making to himself when he heard the other boy trot up beside him, bike in tow.

As soon as the words 'It's fine' left Kageyama's mouth, Hinata felt all the tension he was holding onto roll off his shoulders. It was a lot better then another fight breaking out, in fact, it was the exact opposite. "I can keep up no problem!" The corners of his mouth pulled up into a smile as he joined Kageyama's side. When his eyes found their way to the other males face he was surprised. Was he smiling too? It was rare to see that unless Kageyama was playing volleyball and it was kind of nice. Maybe he'd make a point to walk home together everyday now.

The dark-haired setter said nothing for the rest of his walk home, allowing the other to ramble about things of hardly any importance. He shooed him off when they neared his street, knowing the other had to double back to the school before heading home. He watched him leave until he couldn't see him anymore, than walked to his house and snuck around the side of the house to his bedroom window, slipping inside to avoiding the 'conversation' his parents were having in the living room.


	4. A Kiss With A Fist

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The angst is mounting. Prepare yourselves.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some scenes described in this chapter may be disturbing to some readers. Reader discretion is advised.
> 
> Adding some more of perspective from other characters here, particularly Hinata, Daichi, and Sugawara. a little bit of switching back and forth between scenes so apologies in advance if anyone gets confused.
> 
> This chapter's a little shorter because I'm trying to space it out a bit more.

The morning had started like any other. His parents screaming at each other. His mom crying about his father's vastly increasing drinking problem, his father still heavily hung over from last nights waste fest. Tobio had hid in his room but naturally, his father had come in and beat him anyways for something that wasn't his fault, again. He'd had to vomit in his waste basket from the repeated kicks to his stomach, only empty acids and dry heaving produced, and had managed to make his way to his bed after about an hour after his father left.

But at this point he was used to it.

Several weeks had passed since his first incident at Karasuno, where he'd taken off his sweater and gotten an earful from his team about the bruises on his arms and the way his injuries had affected his game play. He'd learned to cover up any injuries outside of his sports uniform with makeup and had long since started to take multiple breaks during practice to rest. He was barely eating anymore due to the constant torment of his abdomen and chest. Whatever he did eat ended up coming right back out either from stress, anxiety, or another beating from his father. He couldn't sleep, for the drunken slurs and violent curses physically slammed into him haunted him even in dreams, where he'd wake up in a panic for nearly an hour.

He was tired of it. He was tired in general. And he'd made sure no one on the team could suspect a thing. He still had practice later that day, but was still far too hurt from the night before to move. He lay there, waiting for the yelling to stop and the danger to dissipate. His phone blinked with messages but he ignored it, eyes scrunched closed as he focused on getting enough air in his lungs through a bruised diaphragm. He knew he had to leave soon in order to make it to practice, one eye cracking open to see that it was nearing noon. He had practice at 12:30 PM and in his condition, he'd be making his way to it slowly once again to conserve energy and keep pain to a minimum.

Once the argument died down to bubbling grumbles in different room, Tobio managed to make himself stand and begin preparing for his day, making sure everything for practice was in his duffel bag. He was nearly ready, bag hoisted over his shoulder and a hand tiredly rubbing at his eyes after another night of little to no sleep. He picked up his phone from his bed, clicking the center button on the outside to make the tiny screen light up, showing the time to be literally a few minutes before noon. What caught him off-guard as he approached his door was that one set of grumbles was getting closer to him and he felt his whole body freeze up. He was washed in the kind of fear he had only ever experienced at home: the fear of an unavoidable beating.

But why?

He never had two within twenty-four hours of each other. No, his father must have just wanted to yell at him about something, or was too hungover to find the right bedroom to sleep in. But the tremors that took over him as he stepped back from the opening door, the terrifying figure of his father being shadowed by the hall light, eyes cold and unforgiving. If he hadn't thrown up during the last beating, he definitely would have vomited literally every pint of stomach acid he had left when he made eye contact with his doom.

Time always traveled quickly when paired with pain. Tobio often lost track of it amongst the punches and kicks to his body, the grunts and yelps and yelling and emotional manipulation. His father was brutal, starting off with a punch right to the jaw that sent Tobio flying into his dresser before picking him up by the collar of his shirt and giving his body a few good slams against the wall. His head connected with it a few times, leaving him blurry-eyes and dizzy. He was tossed about like a rag-doll, beaten like a boxing champion's punching bag. He almost felt like he was watching some relatable kid's movie where the big bad bully was beating up the wimpy nerd kid who'd gotten in his way, only he felt every impact the bully made on the loser kid. He didn't know how long it was before his father finished venting his anger and frustrations out on his son and left his room, spitting on his shaking form and slamming the door after him.

Tobio half lay there, half leaning against the wall, shaking uncontrollably and letting the blood from his split lip dribble down his chin. Everything hurt, and anything that didn't hurt was washed in an echo of ache from previous beatings. He wanted to cry but his head was floating, too light to process much except the blinking light of his phone which lay in the middle of his floor where he'd dropped it after that first hit. He could barely reach it from where he was, and the amount of pain that shot up his back and down his arm was almost enough to make him give up and just lay there for the rest of the day. But his fingers managed to latch onto it, dragging it forward till he could get a loose grip on it to pick him up. Several missed messages from Hinata and one from the coach. He flicked it open to read them; they were all just trying to get his attention and find out where he was. He could barely move his fingers, so long messages were not an option. He just wanted out. He wanted help. He _needed_ help. So he sent Hinata a simple text. Just two words.

'Help me.'

 

\--

 

It had almost become routine for them to meet up at the cafe. So when Hinata walked in to find no Kageyama, he wrote it off as a win for arriving first. Going about his business normally by placing an order and picking a table. It wasn't until the minutes began to stretch on for what felt like forever did he wonder where the setter was. He didn't think their plans would be forgotten, but he was sure he'd get a text if things changed. Shooting a glance to his pocket as if debating about whether or not he should find out where Kageyama was. When curiosity finally gave in and he had no more food to eat, he took his phone.

'Where are you?' It sounded nonchalant and simple enough to sound normal, as opposed to the pout on his face to show his disappointment of being blown off. When no reply came, the ginger decided Kageyama must have forgot, which shouldn't bother him as much as it did but he'd just tell the other boy he owed him one. Soon enough, noon had rolled around the corner and Hinata made his way back to the school, glancing at his phone every so often to await a reply.

Even when the doors to the gym were open and everyone was ready to start, Kageyama still hadn't arrived. Something that stuck another red flag in the dirt of his mind after the cafe was skipped too. Breakfast he could understand, but not showing up for practice was enough to make Hinata forget he was salty, shifting his emotions more towards concerned. It was just unheard of for Kageyama to blow off anything even remotely related to volleyball. Even injury wouldn't slow him down if he could help it. Requesting they wait a little while for Kageyama, he tried sending another text message. One that would hopefully get a reply.

'Hello??? Practice is starting now! Are you asleep or something?' He knew everyone could only wait so long, but it was odd. Even the team felt a little suspicious of the idea Kageyama would forget or just not show up. Ukai and Daichi agreed to postponed the time for about ten minutes, but one person not showing up couldn't stop the whole team from playing. Practice didn't stop the small player from sneaking over to his phone to spam his missing teammate.

'Kageyama!'

'We're not doing much yet, but if you hurry you won't miss anything.'

'Hey!'

When another opportunity to check his phone arose, the ginger was glad to see a message. Or at least, he was before reading it.

'Help me.'

Those two words left an uncomfortable pit in his stomach, but he didn't hesitate to reply.

'I'll be right there. Where are you?' Instead of waiting for an answer he sprinted over to the coach to relay the message. Hoping to get permission to go find and help Kageyama where ever he was. Of course he had to wait for his teammate to respond and Ukai seemed reluctant about the whole thing. Especially letting a first year go alone.

"Sugawara, Daichi! Come here for a sec." Since the third years would probably handle this best, he decided to call them over to help. Also considering they are both captain and vice captain to the team.

"What's going on?" Being as perceptive as he was, Sugawara was able to pick up on the fact something happened fairly easily, though he wasn't sure what until Hinata showed them both the text he had received.

Tobio's phone chimed mere minutes after he'd sent the message, not to his surprise. His screen lit up with the notification since he hadn't closed his phone after replying, illuminating the darkness of his room. One click and he felt a little hope in his chest, but he didn't want the small spiker to come alone. Tobio didn't think he'd be able to walk very well considering his knees and calves were throbbing and bruised, and the ginger would not be able to carry him all the way to the school or to his house. His thumb wasn't quick, but it was steady.

'Home. Dont come alone' After he sent the messages he did a mental check of himself, finding everything splintering in pain and his head spinning when he tried to move. But he heard his father still in the house, pacing around. He didn't want to be here if there was a chance something could set off his father and make him come in here again. So with tears burning to the surface of his eyes and blood dribbling from several cuts on his arms from being knocked into the corners of his furniture, he managed to stand, duffel bag in hand and make his way over to the window. It was a space that took only six steps to reach from where he was, but he was already so out of breath that it felt like his lungs were on fire. But he persevered and opened the window, throwing his duffel bag out before slipping out as quietly as he could possibly manage and closing his exit once again.

Tobio barely made it to the tree on the edge of his house's property, collapsing against it's surprisingly large trunk with heaving breaths and fire coating the inside of his bones. He just wanted to play volleyball and drink coffee at the café with his friend. His only friend.

Why? Why did all of this have to happen to him?

Because he knew he was a terrible person, always had been, and that he deserved it.

His limbs were screaming at him as he pulled his legs in, wrapping cut arms around bruised knees and tucking his head to his chest. He just wanted to get away from here and hide. He couldn't feel his phone vibrating on the ground where he'd placed it. He hoped Hinata was telling the truth and would be here soon.

He didn't want to be alone with his thoughts and pain anymore.

 

\--

 

Ukai read the second message on Hinata's phone with a much more serious expression. Perhaps this wasn't just a serious case of a cold. Looking to the two third years, he gave them a nod, which was returned by them.

"Hinata, you've been to Kageyama's house before, right?" The coach asked, turning back to the worried middle blocker, who nodded vigorously. "Go find Kageyama and make sure he's alright. Bring these two with you." He sighed and ran a hand through the back of his messy hair, "Try not to be gone too long and keep me updated via text."

"Yes, coach!" Daichi said before the captain turned to Hinata, giving him a nod. "Lead the way, Hinata."

"Got it!" Nodding in understanding, Hinata turned and started towards the exit so he could make his way to Kageyama's house, both captains in tow after him. Luckily it wasn't a long way, just one that took a decent amount of time. So he made sure to send a couple messages such as 'Leaving now.' or 'Almost there.' Sugawara could see that his underclassmen was worried.

He was concerned as well, but decided to offer some words of encouragement; It didn't do them any good to freak out before arrival, "Hinata, I know you're worried, but I'm sure Kageyama is okay. We're going to see him."  Hinata wasn't exactly sure if he should believe that, but nodded in response. The words did help him ease up on his urgency from a moment ago.  But he found himself barely slowing down after Sugawara spoke up. Usually the words would have put him at ease, but he was already high-strung from what was happening. What if Kageyama was dead? Is that even possible? No, couldn't be. Maybe he did need to calm down and everything would just be fine.

An idea that was shattered as soon as he spotted Kageyama in his yard, propped up against a tree while holding himself; a manner that seemed all too wrong for the setter.

"Kageyama! Are you dead?" Running over, the small ginger knelt down to inspect the other boy. He was caught off guard by the injuries, hopping to his feet to look back at Sugawara and Daichi, who he'd accidentally left a ways behind him. The third years looked just as taken aback by Kageyama's state once they'd caught up. They weren't oblivious to the fact he'd been showing up injured, but only now were able to piece together the pieces and suspicions, shooting each other a worried glance.

Tobio was stiff when he finally heard the sound of footsteps and his name being called. Eyes usually dark and scary were puffy and ringed with red when he looked up to see the ginger spiker, his spiker, bounding toward him and frantically looking him over. He blinked at the comment, feeling a lack of a proper emotional response to his friend arriving to save him. He slowly uncurled, but not much, looking at the seniors' concerned expressions before looking back to Hinata.

"No... but I feel like it," his voice was quieter than normal.

"Well, good cause it'd really put a damper on my day if you died..." Hinata's tone was hushed and he found himself looking around for whoever did this. Was it actually people in the morning who beat up Kageyama and not on his way home? Should he even bother caring with the state of his setter. Seeing Kageyama in such a state felt surreal to him. He was always this strong, overly confident guy and it never occurred to Hinata that this kind of thing could happen. He couldn't even let his gaze meet those uncharacteristically sad blue eyes before him.

"Kageyama..." Sugawara said as he and the captain approached him, both bending down on one knee to get to eye level. He placed an extra careful hand on the other setter's shoulder, as if he were afraid Tobio would shatter under any more pressure.

"Can you stand?" Daichi asked, giving the other a worried once over on his injuries. He could only see the intense bruises and the cuts with dribbles of still-drying blood on Tobio's arms from his rolled-up sleeves, not to mention the same ones on his legs as well. He could only imagine what lay under the rest of his clothes. Tobio didn't know if he actually could stand. He'd barely made it this far, but he had stood after that beating, he could probably make himself stand again. He tried to avoid everyone's concerned and sad expressions, reaching forward to take the hand that his captain was now offering him, with Suga beside him to help him up as well.

Tobio was on his feet, but only just. Eyes half-lidded with exhaustion and pain tattooed into his face as he stood next to his seniors. His face rose to meet the silver haired boy beside him, ashamed to show himself to his team mates in this state.

Sugawara steadied him with a hand on his chest and back, looking between him and his captain, "What should we do, Daichi?" The captain pondered for a moment, face serious and shadowed under the shade of the tree, leaving a hand on Tobio's shoulder.

"The school is too far away... You live close to here, right Sugawara?" The older male asked, looking over at his team mate, who nodded.

"I can take him there, if that's what you're asking," already answering Daichi's next question.

Tobio merely grumbled a tired "I'm right here, you know," but made no attempt to really involve himself in their plans. He just wanted to get far away from his house. The captain would have chuckled at the younger boy, if not for the situation.

He turned to Hinata, "Hinata, can you message the coach and tell him we've found Kageyama and he's hurt, so we're taking him to Sugawara's house before coming back?"

The spiker nodded to the captain before reaching for his phone to explain the situation to coach Ukai in a brief message. He desperately wanted to ask what happened to Kageyama, and find a way to help, that didn't exactly go so well last time. So it certainly wouldn't go any better with the state Kageyama was in right now. After finally working up the nerve, he found himself inspecting the injuries on his friend, Sugawara moving to the side to give him better access but still keeping a steadying hand on Kageyama's shoulder. He only tore his eyes away when a message came through his phone and lit up his screen. 

He gave the message a quick skim before saying, "Uh! He said okay, but he wants a more detailed report later." 

The dark-haired setter would have growled at the lack of personal space and the increase of worry in his team mates, especially in Hinata, but he was too drained to really care about being examined like this by his spiker. Though he actually did feel bad about making his team mates worry like this. He could hear his father stamping through the house now and he tensed up under Suga's hands, glancing at the door with renewed fear.

"Can we leave, now?" he asked quietly, catching the two seniors a little surprised, only adding another piece to their mostly-completed puzzle. Daichi was quickest to regain composure, giving the other a serious look.

"Can you walk?" He asked, and Tobio looked up at him with uncertainty before looking down again and slowly shaking his head. The captain sighed and gave a small smile, "Guess there's no other choice." He bent down, back to Tobio and arms held behind him as he looked over his shoulder, "Climb on."

The dark-haired boy was set off at the command, one arm up a little defensively, "I--... I'm too heavy."

That made Daichi laugh, "If I can carry the team during a match, I think I can carry you to Sugawara's house."

"And I'm here to pick up whatever you can't!" The vice-captain added, but it was also his way of saying he'd help carry Kageyama when Daichi needed a break. Sugawara gently let go so Kageyama could take up Daichi's offer. Even if Kageyama didn't want to, the silveret had a feeling if it got him out of here fast enough, he'd have no problem, specifically after seeing the way he looked back at his house.

Normally, Hinata would have snickered at the thought of Kageyama getting a piggyback ride, but instead he found himself smiling at the fact the third years were here. In a way it relieved him to have seniors to fall back on. Even more so given what was going on.

Tobio paused for a moment, only moving to get onto Daichi's back once he heard the door to his room slam open from his house, making him flinch fiercely. His arms slid over the other's broad shoulders, and he made surprising care not to get blood on the elder's white shirt. Daichi wrapped his arms around Tobio's legs and hoisted him up as he stood. The captain noticed the setter was surprisingly light and angular, as if he had just put on an empty backpack that hugged his body. He could feel a set of something sharp pressing against his back just under his shoulder blades. He chose to ignore it for now, but it was definitely something he would keep posted in the back of his mind.

Now this was just embarrassing for Tobio, having to be piggy-back carried by his captain because he couldn't walk on his own. He silently cursed himself and his father. Daichi turned to Sugawara, asking him to lead the way to his house before turning to Hinata.

"Hinata, can I trust you to go back to practice for now?" He smiled at the small ginger, "Kageyama is safe. Suga will text you when we get to his place, alright?" Sugawara took a couple steps forward when asked to lead the way, but turned to Hinata to offer him a reassuring nod after Daichi's request that he leave.

"But-" The middle blocker was hesitant to agree. He knew he should leave this to his seniors, even if he wanted to help. At least he'd stay updated and could always try to see Kageyama later. "Ah. Yeah, you can count on me." Giving his friend a quick once over, he pouted and headed back to the school, unable to shake the lingering thoughts he had about this entire situation.

Watching Hinata go, Sugawara waited a few seconds before starting on the way to his home. He was sure to check up on how Daichi was doing with carrying Kageyama and to his surprise he seemed fine whenever he was glanced at. Suga's expression showed he was impressed, but he kept himself focused on getting them safety to his house for now.

Tobio felt utterly exhausted, even though he was barely moving a muscle while he lay against his captain's back, carried down the sidewalk at a steady pace. Daichi was barely breaking a sweat, despite having the lengthy setter on his back. Tobio practically weight nothing against him, and even though he could see the multitude of injuries on the boy's arms , that was the most concerning factor. Had he been playing volleyball in this bad of a condition in a desperate attempt to keep them in the dark?

The eldest male was fine all the way to Sugawara's house, which was only a twenty minute walk from Tobio's, even going as far as to carry him into the house to the guest bedroom Sugawara had mentioned. Tobio had asked to be let down at the door, but a strict glare from Daichi immediately silenced him. He was set down on the bed gently, wincing as he had to shift his limbs after being in one position for so long.

"I'm sorry for the inconvenience," he muttered quietly before a heavy hand came down on his back from Daichi. He practically chocked on the end of his sentence as he keeled over in pain.

"Oh, Kageyama! You still don't look so good! How about we get you patched up and to bed so you can rest?" The captain said loudly with an overly enthusiastic smile. The last thing he wanted was for Kageyama to feel like he has to apologize for being in this state. "I'm sure Sugawara has plenty to ask you, after all. And besides-" His expression softened to one of a lighter tone, his voice warming, "We need our setter back in top form, so make sure you eat well while you rest." Tobio looked up at his captain's words after catching his breath, a little surprised. Did he already have him figured out? Well, after today, he wouldn't be surprised if they both knew exactly what was going on. But he was sure Hinata was still oblivious to the true extent of his problem. And that put him a little bit at ease; his friend didn't need to know what was going on. Like he said earlier, it would just put a damper on his mood. He looked down again, straightening up as Daichi left the room, motioning for Sugawara to follow and closing the door after them both. The third year setter led the other to the living room and after a sharp exhale, placed a hand on his hip.

"Well, I definitely intend on letting him stay until we figure out what's going on for sure," he started, acknowledging the elephant in the room. "It'll be easier to monitor him here and make sure he's safe."

Daichi nodded, hands on his hips as well after they'd moved into the living room, "Thanks, Suga. I don't want to send him back to his house." He ran a hand over his head, fingers kneading through the short strands of hair as he sighed.

"I feel better knowing he's here too." It was something that put Sugawara at ease about the other setter's safety. "And I'll try to talk to him about what's been going on."

"You and I both know that he's been coming to practice like that a lot," the captain continued. "And I don't believe it was from the neighborhood gang. Today convinced me." He looked over his shoulder to the hallway that led to Kageyama's room, worry painting his face when he turned back to Sugawara, "I need to go report to Coach Ukai and finish practice." His dad mode had activated, "Will you be alright with him here? Do you need anything for his wounds? They looked pretty serious."

The silveret lightly tapped his fist into the other's chest and flashed a smile as reassurance, hoping to counter the concern shown on Daichi's features, "If I need anything I'll be sure to contact you, but don't get distracted during practice." Crossing his arms over his chest to show he was serious, Suga motioned towards the door as if to say he had the rest under control. "It'd be out of character for you, Daichi." Though Sugawara would be lying if he said he wasn't nervous about bringing up the topic for Kageyama or how he planned on mentioning this to his parents.

The captain smiled with a low sigh after a small inhale, shoulders relaxing a bit. Sometimes he forgot how supportive his vice captain could be, and even that sometimes he really needed it. He couldn't be more thankful that his friend was here.

He widened his grin to show teeth, lips lop-siding a bit, "Then I'll leave the rest to you, Sugawara!" He gave the silveret a friendly pat on the shoulder as he moved towards the door and let himself out, closing the door quietly behind him.

A sharp exhale followed Daichi's leaving and he let his eyes focus on the hallway. "Alright."

 

\--

 

Tobio didn't know what to do. He was sitting in an unfamiliar room, alone. He could barely make out the voices of his seniors down the hall, much less what they were saying. But he knew it had to be about him. There was no doubt. He leaned over himself, elbows on his legs as his hands hung in the empty space between them, hair sheltering his face from the light as he stared at the floor. His limbs ached and he could feel his heartbeat in the heat of each rough cut on his arms and legs, not to mention the throbbing in the back of his head where he'd been smashed against the wall. He was just exhausted and he wanted to sleep.

He was wrapped up in a whirlwind of thoughts that didn't dissipated, only receding to the back of his mind when the soft knocks on the door echoed through the room, making him flinch. He lifted his head when it opened on its own, his vice-captain standing in the doorway.

"Hey," offering a friendly wave, the other setter closed the door behind him and gestured to the bed that Kageyama was sitting on. "Mind if I join you?"

Tobio nodded at his question, making himself sit up all the way as he entered. His eyes fell to the first-aid kit in the senior's hand and he felt a wave of guilt and shame wash over him.

"Um, Sugawara, I-," Dark eyes uncharacteristically flickered between the elder and the area around him as he searched for what to say, "I'm sorry to take you away from practice."

After walking in, Sugawara's eyes fell to examine the marks that decorated the younger boys skin. He could only imagine what lay under Kageyama's clothes, but he was sure to find out soon enough, taking a seat on the bed after receiving the nod of approval.

Sighing, Sugawara shook his head at the apology, "Don't worry about practice too much. Your well being is just as important because where would the team be without our oddball duo?" A small grin stretched across his lips and Suga firmly pointed a finger at Kageyama. "Speaking of which! We need to get you back into tip top shape. Mind letting me take care of your injuries?"

He thought he should have smiled at the oddball comment, but the dark-haired boy found his lips jammed in a guilty frown. He looked over at the other and just gave a hesitant nod, "Sure..." It wasn't like he couldn't handle them himself, but he had a pinching feeling that the elder was going to question him, especially after what their captain had said before leaving the room. He disliked talking while he was doing a task. Might as well let Sugawara tend to the injuries of his arms and legs while he's at it. He didn't need to see the damage under Tobio's shirt anyways. It wasn't something he wanted to worry anyone with. Especially since the damage under his clothes wasn't limited to just parental abuse.

Placing the box beside him, the older male opened it to look for a couple disinfectant wipes, unpacking one before gesturing at Kageyama to offer up an arm. First, he had to wipe the scratches to clean them up. He tried to be gentle, but cared more about doing a good job at keeping them from getting infected. Outwardly hissing at the burning pain from the alcohol wipe, Tobio narrowly resisted the urge to jerk his arm away, teeth bared.

"So Kageyama..." Trailing off, the third year tried to find a way to continue. The best option seemed to be straight forward. "Ah- About what happened. Daichi and I know it wasn't some other kids doing this to you."

Tobio's eyes flickered back up to Sugawara's face as he was called out on his bullshit lies. He knew it had to happen eventually. He just didn't assume it would be like this.

"Of course you do," he sighed, turning his head away to stare at the creases in the pillow. "It's not like I could have kept it a secret forever, I just-..." He trailed off, brows furrowing, "I didn't want to drag the team down with my personal problems."

The silveret remained silent even moments after Kageyama finished speaking. As if he was trying to find a way to explain something for his junior, "Hmm... Let's say Hinata couldn't jump correctly, but he told you it wasn't your business?" He gave some space between his next comment to let the other ponder that. "It sure would put the whole team out of wack and we'd all want to help him, right?" After finishing up the second arm, Suga reached for some bandages. "The same goes for you. Hiding things is what will drag the team down. Not that I want to lecture you, but your safety and health is important."

Tobio blinked at the other in surprise when he offered the scenario, eyes narrowing after a moment as he thought it over, "You're right, of course, Sugawara. But it's-" The face of his father came to mind, with that awful glare and sneer as the high schooler cowered beneath him. The yelling at him, the abuse on him, the hateful words that were physically beat into his head till he had them memorized to himself. "It's a little different than that, I think," he finished, watching as the bandage for his arms was wrapped around his limbs. An almost sad look slowly pulled at his feature. He didn't want to believe he deserved this, but even now he felt guilty about taking Sugawara's kindness and keeping him from playing the sport they both so desperately loved.

Seeing such uncharacteristically sad expressions on the other's face left Sugawara feeling strangely upset as well. Kageyama was not an unwavering force, he knew that, but he wasn't sure what to do when such a low-key distraught expression was smeared over the first year's features.

"Do you want to explain the situation at all? I would like to know." Leaning back, Suga inspected Kageyama's legs and took a mental note to grab an ice pack or two, maybe more for the bruises before his attention returned to Kageyama's face. After grabbing a gauze pad to wipe away any blood on Kageyama's face, he reached for some antibacterial ointment, squeezing some out onto a band-aid for the obvious punch the younger boy took on his right side.

Tobio made to move when the other reached for his face, flinching out of instinct and squinting his eyes shut as he braced for a hit. But when he found only an antiseptic wipe on his busted lip and bruised cheek, he slowly opened one eye and then the other. Taking notice to the flinch, Sugawara pulled back slower once he had finished. Maybe it would be best to take more subtle actions into consideration around the younger boy.

The first year mulled over a reply, uneasy about talking about his situation with the other, "I'd rather not..." His eyes flitted to the side, sore arms now cleaned and bandaged coming to rest lightly on his thighs. "It's not as bad as it seems."

"...If you're sure." The silveret wasn't surprise by the lack of conversation on the topic. It was probably best to drop it off there. It really wasn't his place to pry into and force Kageyama to speak. He already had an idea of what was happening at the home. Needn't make him repeat it until he was ready to. "Well, we're almost done. Mind letting me take a look under your shirt? I doubt it's an-"

"Absolutely not!" He didn't mean to snap, even if his facials expression wasn't one of anger, but of fear. He subconsciously made to move away, but stopped himself, knowing Sugawara would never force him to do something like that. "S-Sorry," he added after a moment, looking away from the other's chestnut eyes. "I just... really don't think it's something to concern yourself with." He looked at his arms, bruises and cuts now hidden with bandages, "I appreciate your help, Sugawara, but I can manage the rest on my own..."

Sugawara was taken aback by the instantaneous response, but he knew it wasn't meant to offend. He probably overstepped a boundary of some kind and bowed his head in an apologetic manner.

"No, no. I should have asked if you wanted to take care of it yourself." Getting to his feet, Suga tapped his hand on the first-aid kit. It wasn't too loud, but it would get ones attention. He was obvious trying to make a point for the other to use it by leaving it here. "I'll go grab some ice packs and be back in a bit." Looking back momentarily before leaving to get the ice packs from his kitchen. He purposely took his time, even replying to messages from Hinata that he ignored earlier. No information really, just a strict and supportive 'Focus on practice for now.' Even if he already was, Suga wanted to make sure. Daichi was no doubt the target of an overly curious Hinata. 

After gathering the few ice packs he had, which was only a low number of three, Suga grabbed a couple bags of frozen vegetables and some wash cloths. He wasn't particularly used to this type of thing so he pondered what to do next. Kageyama might be physically hurt, but it seems like he's having a lot of emotional problems to. Ones that Suga didn't want to force into a conversation. There was also the home situation that just left an ill feeling for the setter.

Tobio was surprised when the other let the subject drop as quickly as he did, but he was also relieved. Though he did feel bad about snapping at him, he fumbled over his tongue as he watched the other slip out of the room. His eyes were brought to the first-aid kit after the couple taps from the other setter. He sighed inwardly, letting the other leave the room and waiting a moment before reaching for it, flicking it open. There was a half-body mirror on the wall above the nearby desk, and he stood to see himself in front of it. He hesitated to lift his shirt, as if he was almost afraid to see what the damage was underneath. And he had every right to be.

His torso was covered in blooming flowers of purple, red, and blue. There was a particularly large one near his back under his rib cage where he'd been slammed into his dresser. And several smaller ones on his upper back from being slammed into the wall. He was sure if he had a shaved head like Tanaka, he'd be able to see the one on the back of his head from where it made contact with the wall. The one thing he was worried most about the other seeing was every single rib of his sticking out from under his skin, defined and pale. The ridges of his spine were as sharp as his hip bones threatening to break through the skin if he hit them too hard against something.

He sighed before letting the fabric fall back over his form. He was certain there was nothing in the first-aid kit that would help him, since Sugawara seemed to use most of the bruise ointment for his arms. The kit only had a small travel tube anyways. Still, he made a mental note to ask for extra ice packs or ointment if the other didn't bring enough. He sat down on the bed again with a sigh, brow furrowed over eyes that seemed to hold less light than they used to.

He moved to the first-aid kit once more, picking up the roll of bandages and beginning to wrap the few cuts on his legs with them, as well as a few bruises so that it seemed like there were less than there actually were. He jumped again when the knock came at the door, and he silently cursed at himself for being so jumpy when he knew he wasn't at home and one of the last people who would lay a harmful hand on him was on the other side of the door. He shifted to sit on the bed, giving Sugawara's 'can I come in?' a quiet 'yeah'. When he saw the bags of frozen veggies, he felt kind of bad but he mentally shook off the feeling. He was more in control of himself now and was beginning to return to his normal attitude that he usually kept.

Sugawara fumbled with the supplies in his hands so he could hand over a bag of vegetables with a wash cloth. Placing he rest on the bedside table for Kageyama to use at his leisure. He wanted to get in more discussion on what's been going on, but decided not to press anything right away. It wasn't his place to forcefully pry information out of him, but he wasn't going to act ignorant to what's going on.

"You don't mind staying at my house tonight, right?" He might not want to force anything out of Kageyama, but by no means would he let the first year go back to anywhere dangerous. He rested his hands on his hips while shifting his stance. "I don't feel comfortable sending you home."

"No, it's alright." Dark eyes looked up to the older setter, blinking a few times tiredly against the glare of the light. He didn't know where he'd be without his seniors coming to his rescue on a moment's notice. Or Hinata, who'd tried to make sure he was okay even after Kageyama had blown him off for their usual morning get together, and even practice. He sighed, taking the ice pack from the other as his shoulders slouched, searching for words. "I, um.. wouldn't really want to go home anyways." He looked down at the ice pack in his hands, blinking once before laying it on a large bruise on his left arm. He really should tell the vice captain what was going on with him, but he was certain that it would pass quickly, as it had in middle school. "It's not like my parents will care if they notice." There he was, being all negative again. He was probably starting to sound like Azumane, if not worse. He cleared his throat and sat up a little, pulling his face into what he hoped was a more calm expression. "But uh, thank you Sugawara. I really do appreciate what you're doing for me."

"Hey now-" Sugawara wanted to help shake off that negative attitude, but he couldn't speak for Kageyama's parents. He knew these kind of things happened and that the people who raise you aren't always a saint. So he sighed and picked up another ice pack, carefully placing it on Kageyama's head. "Well the team cares." At the offer of thanks, he simply nodded. It didn't seem necessary, but it was clear Kageyama wanted to show he was grateful. "You know... I won't make you talk to me, but if you ever need to I'm always ready to listen."

Tobio nodded in understanding. Wincing as the smallest ice pack was placed right where his head had made contact with the wall, he chewed on his bottom lip as he tried to think of how to respond to the other's offer.

Should he tell him? Would it be wise? Would it help him or just make them worry? His eyes met Sugawara's, finding earnest concern and kindness in melted caramel.

He sighed, "I know the team cares. That's why I didn't want them to know. Because I thought it would distract them from volleyball. I... My parents... they go through phases of fighting and content marriage." He blinked down at the ice pack balanced on his arm as his other held the ice pack on his head. "The fighting never gets too bad, but my father became unemployed about six months ago. He started drinking a lot and fighting with my mom about everything... It was only words and some shoving at first but now--" His eyes grazed over the damage of his arms and legs, eyebrows furrowing, "He's started doing this. It's been like that for almost four months. He's hardly ever sober anymore. I used to sneak out my window to avoid him when I heard them fighting. I'd go to this Café that's on the way to school." It was like a flood-gate had been ripped open; the words just came tumbling out. "I started meeting Hinata there before practice. Though, I didn't always get away before my father came looking for me. Hinata never noticed until it became too hard to hide."

Sugawara wasn't sure how to process the given information at first, but offered Kageyama a couple attentive nods to show he was listening. It wasn't like he didn't have a vague idea of what was happening already. Just, now that he's heard it offically from his junior it felt oddly surreal. The upperclassmen didn't have much or any experience with this type of thing, but he knew Kageyama didn't deserve any abuse. Even if things could be civil at Kageyama's home, it left Suga uneasy while it wasn't. He could offer a place to stay, but how long would that help? Maybe seek outside resources too? It was hard to say for now.

"It's not like I can say anything to fix the situation, but for what it's worth you can stay as long as you want. Or whenever you need to." His soft eyes remained on Kageyama's face, debating on what to say further on the matter or if he needed to.

The first-year gave a nod of thanks, switching the ice pack on his head to his leg after he pulled the limb onto the bed. He was very appreciative towards the other, especially for not pushing him for answers until Tobio was ready to give them. "Thanks," he replied, looking up again, feeling much calmer now than the numbness he'd sunk into before they first came to get him. "Um, I don't think I have your phone number Sugawara. Can you give it to me so I can message you if this happens again?"

"Oh, right. I'll send you a message later so you can save my info to your phone." Suga rubbed his chin a bit, thinking about what to do next. "I'll probably make us something to eat and let you get comfortable."

"Alright," was all Kageyama replied.

"Then I'll be back in a bit," Suga waved to show he was leaving and exited the room to make his way to the kitchen. Kageyama could probably use the space anyway. Before he began to prepare any sort of food, he decided it best to update Daichi on what he was told about Kageyama's parents. That way Ukai could be filled in once practice was over too. The third years and Ukai decided to keep Hinata out of the loop too. Unless they found it absolutely necessary to involve any of the team, they wouldn't.

Tobio watched the other leave peacefully, tired eyes drooping once the door was shut and he was left alone once again. He debated on sending the other a text so Sugawara would have his number, but remembered that as vice-captain he should have his number already for club-related activities and alerts. But Tobio supposed it wouldn't hurt to send a quick 'This is Kageyama' anyways.

Speaking of hurt, he ached everywhere and his head was throbbing. He could feel his pulse in his skin, heartbeat beating against the back of his eyes. Balancing the two ice packs on his legs, he reached for a smaller one - a small bag of frozen green beans - and laid it on his forehead when he laid down. He would just rest his eyes for a minute--

At least until he heard his phone receive a message within his volleyball bag, which had been dropped by the door of the room and forgotten. He already knew it was Hinata, taking every break and chance he could to sneak onto his phone. And if it wasn't him, it was probably the coach, who he really should update on his situation and apologize for missing practice. So with a grunt and a suppressed yelp of pain, he sat up and let the ice packs slide onto the bed before retrieving his phone. As he'd predicted, he had numerous unread messages from Hinata, including one that came in as he opened his inbox. There were also two from Coach Ukai. One asking where he was and what happened and a second more-recent one excusing Tobio, saying that he'd been informed by the third years of what was going on.

After going through all of his spiker's worried messages, he sent Hinata an affectionate 'Worry about me when you can receive a direct spike for once, dumbass.' followed by 'text me when you get home.' He sighed to himself once both messages were sent, placing the makeshift ice packs back on his sorest parts and resumed his earlier position.

 

\--

 

It wasn't until after a couple days later that Tobio realized how wrong he was when he assumed his parents wouldn't care if they noticed him missing.

He'd been residing with Sugawara in his guest bedroom for nearly three days now, and neither of his parents had sent him a single text or tried to call to find out where he was. Part of him was relieved, while the rest of him was weighed down with a heavy sense of foreboding. And his senses had never failed him before. So when he had just returned to Sugawara's house after Saturday afternoon practice and flipped open his phone to check his messages, he felt his chest seize up and squeeze his heart right into his stomach when his eyes laid onto the singular message that stuck out from the rest.

'DAD July 2nd, 2015 at 5:23 PM

Come home tonight or I'm calling the cops.'

Tobio immediately closed his phone and shoved it into his pocket, fear trying to claw the rest of his heart out from his gut.

He didn't want to go home.

But he didn't want to get Sugawara or his family in trouble for keeping him. They'd been too kind. He couldn't do that to them. He wasn't worth involving them with the police. So he waited until the house fell silent, blanketed in darkness and soft snores. When the clock on his phone showed it was after midnight, he went to the guest room window and slipped out. He left a sticky note on the bed for Sugawara with a short message of thanks and apology. The nights were still somewhat cold, so he pulled the sleeves of his Karasuno jacket down to his wrists and hiked up his collar. The walk normally should have only taken about twenty minutes, but when Tobio finally managed to make it to his house, it was nearing one in the morning. He figured it best if he went through the front door, to silently announce that he was home. He wouldn't actually put it past his father to go through with his threat.

When he opened the door, all was silent and dark. None of the lights in the house were on, save for one in the living room. Thankfully, he didn't have to go through it to get to his room. But when he turned the corner to disappear into his pseudo sanctuary, a set of heavy steps followed after him paired with the hall light flicking on. 

"And just where have you been, son?" The last word was almost spat, like pure vinegar on the tongue. Tobio found himself frozen, turning his head enough to see the dark looking silhouette of his father standing in the doorway between the hall and the living room. "Well?"

"A-A friend's house," he managed to stutter back.

"Ohh, a friend's house." His tone was dripping with sarcastic understanding, eyes narrow and steely. "Must have been a real good friend to let you stay over for three days."

"Yes, sir."

"Is this any way to communicate with your father?" The older Kageyama growled, "Turn around and talk to me like a good son." Tobio obeyed, naturally. Anything to keep his father from snapping into a rage. But that didn't stop him from averting his eyes out of fear, chewing a little on the inside of his cheek. It was silent as he stood there; a one-sided stare down ensuing. He swore he could feel each individual heartbeat of his echo through the whole house.

His father moved first, stepping forward to close the distance between them at an alarming rate. His hand raised, fingers curled in, knuckles met with the line of his cheek before Tobio even had time to close his eyes to brace for impact. The force was enough to send him sideways, slamming his shoulder into the wall before sinking to the floor. The younger male was stunned for a moment, gaze swimming, blood pooling in his mouth - which was open in a soundless yell - where the inside of his cheek had cut itself on his teeth. The older man stood there for a moment, straightening up and flexing the fist he'd just used. A cold 'go to your room' was issued, eyes a blue so dark they looked black watching as the high schooler raised himself to his feet and walked back to his room without reply, closing the door almost silently behind him.


	5. Sweet Treat Cafe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A nicer cafe scene of Hinata and Kageyama getting to know each other a little more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd apologize for how much OC interaction there is in this chapter but I don't actually care and I love my OCs as much as I love my canon babs so suck it up home skillet
> 
> What I do apologize for is that the chapter's a little shorter than the others, but I didn't want to leave you guys for too long on such a sour note! So here have some fluff and sunshine~
> 
> EDIT: I added more to the end of this chapter, giving some dialogue during their walk.

Once his door was shut, Tobio leaned against it, sliding to the floor quietly after he heard his father walk back into the living room. His face stung and the taste of iron coated the inside of his mouth. The skin of his cheek was hot when he reached up to touch it, wincing when he found it tender. His shoulder was throbbing from where he'd slammed into the wall after being punched, and he prayed it would go away before practice tomorrow. But he was thankful he was able to get away with just that.

What he was very ungrateful for was the bout of insomnia that kept him company all night, chiding him out of sleep with whispered threats and false pretenses of abuse. He could see shadows in the dark, twisting and moving around him as he sat there in front of his door for what felt like eternity. When in reality, it was only about five or six hours. he heard his parents start another fight, which ended in his father storming out of the house and driving off while his mother locked herself in her room.

So it would be a peaceful morning after all.

He finally pushed himself to his feet, still wearing his clothes from yesterday. He pulled his volleyball bag over his shoulder again and moved to his window. Even if his father wasn't home, his mother was just as scary when she was angry, and he didn't dare spark her verbal wrath by trying to leave through the front door. So he quietly slipped out his window, leaving it unlocked to return to in the evening. Looking around to make sure his father's car was nowhere around, he started jogging down the street. Getting his morning run in as he made his way down to the café was nice, since he hadn't done it in a while. He felt his phone vibrate, and pulled it out at a stop light to catch his breath while he read it.

'HINATA SHOYO June 28th, 2015 at 7:38 AM

Hey Kageyama!! I'm heading over to STC now, see you there?'

Apparently he wouldn't be spending the morning alone.

Which made him smile to himself.

He typed a quick, 'Wouldn't miss it. Don't be late' before the walk sign went from red to white, and he jogged across the crosswalk.

He was first to arrive, as usual, given he'd already been halfway there by the time Hinata had messaged him. He was actually early enough that he got there a little bit before the café actually opened, so he took a seat in one of their outside settings. Surprisingly, Hiroshi was the first to arrive, followed by a rather grumpy, dark-haired boy that Tobio knew as the grouchy junior, Yoichi. Hiroshi gave Tobio a polite nod, which he returned, before moving to unlock and open the door. The employee behind him yawned and gave the boy no recognition, since he was hardly ever on morning duty, though he did happen to have a friendly rivalry with the younger dark-haired boy.

Tobio waited a polite twenty minutes before standing and going inside. Hiroshi had put Yoichi on restock duty while he checked and refilled all the machines and materials. He'd even put out brand new muffins from yesterday's delivery out. There were plety of blueberry ones right on top of the pile and Tobio looked at them eagerly. Hiroshi turned to him after replenishing the lemonade in the juice machine, a dry rag wiping the gooey condensation from his hands.

"Blueberry muffin again, Tobio?" The older had no problem calling the setter by his first name. He'd been a regular for quite some time now, to the point where even the super polite but loud Suzume gave him the affectionate nickname 'Toto'. Yoichi often used it to annoy the younger boy but was still fairly friendly.

Tobio blinked in surprise before glancing away with a shrug, "Yeah, sure. They look pretty appetizing, both to me and my wallet."

"Ah, c'mon Toto, live a little!" Yoichi called over from where he crouched, sliding bottles of apple juice into their slots, one after another. "At least get a cappuccino or smoothie to go with it."

"Only if you make one for me, Chichi," he huffed back, a victorious smirk pulling at his lips when the other growled at the returned nickname.

"Tobio, pick whichever one you want," Hiroshi cut in, moving over to the cash register. The guy was never really one to smile a lot. He rang the high-schooler out for his order and slipped him the change before Tobio went to look for a spot near the window so he could watch for his spiker. Hardly much time had passed before the taller employee came over, sliding a hot latté in front of the other boy. Tobio's eyebrows raised in surprise and he opened his mouth to protest when he looked up, only to have Hiroshi raise his hand to cut him off. "It's on the house. You look like you need it." He gave the younger boy a quick pat on the head before walking back to the work space.

"Th-Thank you very much!" Tobio managed to sputter after a second, both baffled and embarrassed that the other was able to tell he needed something to perk him up for the day, and with an underlying pleased feeling of being pat gently on the head. Fingers instinctively raised to his face, meeting the fresh bruise he was sure decorated the underside of his eye above his cheekbone. He sighed, giving the drink a few blows and an experimental sip before he went back to picking at his muffin. He ignored the muffled snicker from the other end of the room.

Hiroshi turned back to his co-worker, sighing, "Yoichi, if you don't finish restocking the fridge before nine, I'll make you clean all the machines before you clock out."

"Geh!" The other looked shocked and horrified at the same time.

"Don't give me 'geh'," the ginger replied, turning back to the machines to work on the cappuccino one.

Tobio was still just picking at his muffin, throwing decent sized bits and pieces into his mouth idly as he watched the early morning traffic pass outside. He soon caught sight of a familiar fluff of orange hair weaving through the people traffic, giving a small wave when he made eye contact with Hinata through the window. The ginger in question was as bouncy as ever, still bathing in the excitement that came with something to do before practice, despite it having already been several weeks since they'd started meeting up at the café. Kageyama ended up being far more tolerable than he first imagined and the fact they'd be meeting again today left him feeling ecstatic. It was something he did nothing to hide when entering the building, that usual and familiar smile radiating from his face and turned to the counter to order something. He had eaten earlier, but could still eat quite a bit more before actually being full. He bounced on his heels eagerly before deciding on a chocolate chip muffin and a bottle of water, which Yoichi handed him from the back of the fridge where it was coldest. It was still strange that Hinata bothered looking at the menu since he always got the easiest and most affordable food each time. After exchanging his money for food, the spiker speedily walked over to his friend's table, plopping into he seat carelessly to join Kageyama as he started to peel he wrapper from the fluffy bread in his hand. Tobio sipped from his drink while he watched the other order quickly, blinking as the ginger sat down in front of him.

"Hey, Kageyama-!" The greeting as cut short after he noticed the new bruise on his friend's face. An inquisitive expression replaced his previous grin. "What happened to you?" Without waiting, Hinata sunk his teeth into the muffin and took a decently sized bite to chew, blinking at Kageyama.

The setter replied to the other's inquiry with a nonchalant, "I forgot to turn the hall light on and walked into my door because I forgot it was closed." Hinata had to bring a hand up to cover his grin and muffle his "snrk!". For a genus setter he sure was clumsy, which was odd for Hinata himself to say considering his own track record. 

Clearing his throat after swallowing, the ginger smirked. "Wow Kageyama, do you need headlights?" But despite his teasing, he was actually a little concerned about the color of the ravent's face. 

"No, but you're gunna need new ones when I knock your lights out!" The setter huffed back, feeling a little heat rise to his bruised cheeks at the others poorly-muffled laughter. His shoulders hunched up defensively as he glared at the smaller boy before giving a sharp 'tch' and turning his head.

"Hm-" Glancing at the water bottle he bought and noting the vast amount of condensation on the chilled surface, the spiker picked it up and offered it to Kageyama to use as a cool relief for the new bruise. "Wanna use this before I drink it all?"

Tobio blinked back into composure when the ginger offered him his water bottle, and he eyed it for a second before holding out his hand to receive it, "Yeah, thanks." It was almost frigid against his fingers and when he pressed it lightly to his tender skin, it was like walking into an air conditioned house after jogging in the heat; the relief actually made him sigh in quiet content and lean into it a little, eyelids dropping closed for a moment or two.

"No problem!" Hinata hadn't meant to stare while Kageyama iced his cheek, but the setter looked oddly at peace and he found himself watching for longer than he anticipated. It was rare that he got to see the other look like this. Shaking his head, his focus shifted back to the muffin he was eating, a fantastic reminder that he was still as hungry as before. 

He remembered that Suga had approached him after practice the following day they had taken Kageyama to the other setter's house, the upperclassman having asked him about his thoughts on the situation. The conversation ended with Sugawara asking Hinata to update him if any injuries appeared on Kageyama, even small ones. So discreetly as he could, he pulled out his phone and typed a quick message to the senior about the new face bruise and how his team mate had gotten it. He felt a bit of guilt try and nitpick at him after he sent the message, almost feeling like he was spying on the taller boy for his upperclassmen as he slipped his phone back into his pocket. But he was also worried about Kageyama and he assumed Sugawara was as well. It wasn't an unreasonable request and perhaps Sugawara would just laugh, say thanks, and that would be that until practice.

"So- Anything new?" It seemed best to start small small talk. He wasn't sure if staring at Kageyama in silence would slide; that was just creepy. Plus, he wasn't ready for a possible, most likely scary, repercussion there would be if he was caught so he shoved more muffin in his mouth instead. "Well aside from you needing some kind of safety helmet," he mumbled through a mouthful of food.

The dark-haired boy huffed at the other's comment, giving him a lazy glare before closing his eyes again, though his brow was furrowed a bit now, "Not particularly. I went back to my parent's house because I felt like I was imposing on Sugawara too much." He remembered the other setters's concerned text he'd read while he was walking, having woken to find the first-year replaced with a note but not asking him to come back, "He was alright with it."

"Oh!" Hinata didn't think much of Kageyama going back home; in fact, he assumed that was good. Staying at Sugawara's must have helped a lot with the previous situation because most of the bruises besides the new one on Kageyama's cheek were all fading. He trusted Suga's judgment too and if all was well, he'd believe that. "Well I bet it was fun to stay with him. Kind of like a sleepover! Right?"

"Mm, I suppose. What about you?" The younger boy slipped the question back to the ginger, rolling the bottle gently on his face to find a colder spot. "Anything interesting going on? Get your sister into volleyball yet?"

"Oh! We kind of have a trade off with volleyball and jump rope, but she's starting to seem more interested. And you should see how killer my jump rope tricks are!" Hinata looked proud of himself and then took a moment to wolf down the rest of his muffin.

"I'm sure they're just as good as your attempts at Nishinoya's 'Rolling Thunder'." Tobio paused to put the water bottle down, rolling it the short distance across the table to the other and to pick up his own drink, taking a sip. Now he was at a loss of what to talk about, sleep deprivation making his mind fill up with fuzz and soundless static. He decided to keep talking about the other's sister for now; Natsu always seemed like a good subject to keep the other talking and the topic off himself.

"Hey! I just haven't gotten the hang of it yet!" Making a fist, he swung it into the air above him. Probably to add some dramatic effect; he was like that. "But you'll be jealous when I roll out the sick jump rope move and catch everyone off guard."

"I'm sure Natsu must be better than you, since she practices more," Tobio added, looking over at the other over the lip of his cup.

"Wow, okay! I practice plenty too, ya know? You're there!" Hinata wasn't sure if Natsu would end up being better in the long run, not that it was a bad idea, just not right now. The older brother he knew he was better and he was teaching her how to play. "Plus, she learned everything from me." That might have been a stretch because Hinata learned most of his skills from the team. Especially the coach, Kageyama, and his upperclassmen. "Besides, I'm going to pass you out so if she's better then me, you should watch out!"

"If she learned everything from you, then she _must_  be a genius!" Tobio rolled his eyes, reaching for his own muffin again after setting down his drink. He was silently grateful to Hiroshi for bringing him one; he'd really needed it.

"So what if she is!" The small ginger didn't plan on letting him know if Natsu was a genus or not. That would certainly teach him to doubt and roll his eyes.

"Get a room or propose already!" Yoichi called from the other end of the cafe, earning him a quick smack from a rag to the back of the head from his coworker.

"I'm saving myself for you, Chichi!" Tobio called back, feeling satisfaction and a smirk smear over his face when he heard the older boy grumble something unintelligible and shove bottles into the second fridge a little more harshly. He resisted the urge to do a double eye-roll at his team mate's vow, instead pulling out his phone after he felt it vibrate. Another message from Sugawara, asking him about his face. He gave the ginger across from him a quick glare before returning to his phone, sending the third year a quick text that he was alright and the damage was minimal; there wasn't even any swelling. He pocketed the device once more after giving the digital clock a quick check, finding it to be just past eight now.

Hinata's back smacked against the chair when Kageyama shot him a glare, instinctively making sure he was upright and looking back. How could anyone look so scary? Especially when he looked so peaceful and cute earlier. Cute? That was new. He never thought the setter was cute before. He definitely shouldn't find Kageyama cute, that would be way too embarrassing.

"Y-You're going to get wrinkles with those faces, ya know that, right?" He said, uncapping his bottle and taking a quick swig from it.

If the other boy hadn't been sitting across the table from him and it had been a more private place where they weren't sitting in front of the main window, Tobio probably would have made a grab for the ginger's face.

Instead he growled "At least I won't look like a elementary schooler like you!" Honestly, this guy was always making fun of his face. It's not like he could change the way it looked. "Whatever, so is there anything you want to do before practice?"

Hinata huffed at the snarky comment on his appearance, cheeks puffing up in annoyance before he let out his breath with a sigh and looking out the window, "Uhm..." Resting the bottle on the table, he pondered what they could do. The previous conversation about his sister made him think of Kageyama's own family life. He really didn't know much and decided now what a decent time to ask. "Well I was wondering! What do you do without a sibling? Did your parents hang out with you or something? What are they like when they're not working?" It wasn't like the ginger always had a sister around, but his dad and mom always offered to spend time with him growing up. He had plenty of people he got along with too, but it seemed different for Kageyama.

"Don't change the subject," the setter mumbled under his breath, before actually giving the question some thought. He couldn't tell Hinata the truth about his home life. No one was supposed to know; Daichi, Sugawara, and the Coach were all exceptions. His little ball of energy twittering in front of him wouldn't understand, based on the kind of upbringing he'd had. At least that's what Kageyama believed.

So he supposed he had no choice but to lie, lightly.

"They mainly keep to themselves a lot, not really civil when together but at least they keep it in the house." He could see the two staff members going about their business, but he did notice they were both glancing over periodically, even perking up a bit and slowing down in their current occupations when Hinata's questions about the setter's home life filtered out. Other customers had filtered in and out while he'd been sitting there, but currently there was just one man approaching the door from outside and another grouchy college kid sitting on the opposite end of the room, clicking away on his computer with his earphones plugged in. Tobio liked Hiroshi and knew the guy was low-key worried about him and could keep his secret if he figured it out, which he probably would fairly easily. Yoichi talked big but he was a decent guy and knew not to spread gossip about other people. He had a soft spot for the first-year, too, despite his asshole-exterior. 

"We... don't always get along. I think I mentioned before that they're pretty strict." He took a moment of pause to sip from his drink, and also to figure out how else to cover the truth with more vague descriptions. "They're loud too. And my dad gets angry at things pretty easily. Doesn't exactly have good anger-management skills, if you ask me," he finished, reaching to take a bite of his muffin, only halfway through it. His stomach was yelling at him to stop but his brain was telling him he needed more sustenance than that. Maybe he'd wrap it in a napkin to go.

"Oh." That wasn't exactly the answer Hinata was expecting to hear. He thought it was odd for a family not to get along; family was supposed to support you, but apparently Kageyama and his parents didn't have the same kind of relationship as Hinata did with his, leaving him unsure how to continue the conversation. Not that he didn't recover quickly, but the pause was unwelcomed. "That sounds weird." That probably wasn't the best word choice. "Ah-! I mean, I didn't know that you all didn't get along- Sorry." He paused again as he tried to find a topic to recover to. "W-Well which one of them taught you to cook? Or- oh! Who introduced you to volleyball? Did you have a little giant too?" Those seemed like a good cover for his earlier slip up of calling Kageyama's family weird. He really didn't mean for that one to slip out.

Tobio wasn't surprised at the other's confusion, nor at his obliviousness to just how much the setter and his parents 'didn't get along'. Still, he raised an eyebrow just the same. At the slew of questions, his other eyebrow joined the raised one on his brow.

"A-Ah, um, that is... " He started to stutter before looking down at his food, voice a little quieter. "My grandmother taught me to cook..." He could feel his ear tips turning red as they usually did when he spoke about her or his cooking ability. "A-And my father taught me about volleyball when I was very little after he saw me playing it in gym class."

He remembered that. Very well, actually. The teachers had the students going around doing different sports that Tobio just couldn't seem to understand or grasp the concept of. He barely remembered any of those other sports. But once a volleyball was put into his hands, it was like the memory was suddenly loaded in 1080p; everything was sharp and clear. The ball would go wherever he wanted, follow the path he'd set it on, spin in the direction he'd hit it. It was like an extension of his body.

"He thought I was better at it then the other kids and wanted to find a sport for me to play. So I picked volleyball."

"Ohhh! My dad got me into a lot of sports too, but not volleyball." Hinata thought it must be amazing to have a father that liked volleyball or if it helped Kageyama get so irritatingly good at it. Either way, the little giant was still the best. He could do what the ginger was only striving for right now. Well, so could Kageyama, but he'd catch up eventually. "Is your dad good at volleyball?" Reaching for his water and the cap; he put the cover back on his water. Lazily resting it on its side and rolling it on the table. He had to admit he was getting a little antsy just sitting around now, but he was curious about Kageyama's family. He hardly knew a thing while the setter could most likely write a book on his.

His questions came sputtering forth in rapid-fire, hardly giving Tobio a chance to respond. He was a little sour that the topic of his grandmother was so easily redirected, since he actually like talking about her because all of the memories with her we're good ones. However, when the topic of his father came up again, he felt a little uneasy stir in his gut. No, his father was not good at volleyball. He was amazing at it. He expected his son to be just as good as him so with that came a lot of high expectations he had to reach as quickly as possible. Or else. The setter blinked at the other before he shifted his eyes to the side again, leaning forward to rest his elbow on the table and his chin in his palm.

"He's pretty good. Knows all about it and how to find errors and fix them." He made his voice sound very even, but he was positive the uneasy feeling in his gut playing jump rope with his intestines could beat Hinata any day. "He wants me to be the best and join Japan's national team when I'm older- Which I already planned to," he added the last part on as a reminder, mainly to himself. He wanted to play on Japan's team for himself, not because his angry, controlling father wanted him to.

"Oh wow-" Hearing Kageyama's description of his father certainly helped the spiker piece together how the setter got to be so fantastic at volleyball; not that he would ever say that out loud. His goal was to surpass his friend even if the odds stacked against him were Japan or the world. The idea did sound big, but he wanted to keep winning and get to play for a national team himself. "It's cool your dad supports your wanting to play nationally! My mom's kinda worried about that kind of idea, but she's okay with it." Hinata suddenly stopped rolling his water around the table and flopped back in his seat. "So is your grandma on your dad's side? Did she let him play volleyball? Or is she on your mom's side?"

The dark-haired boy could see from the way the other bounced in his seat and fussed with the things on the table that he was getting antsy. Maybe they could continue this conversation elsewhere or later and go do something to get him to calm down. He reached for the napkin dispenser that sat on the table and pulled one out, unfolding it and beginning to wrap his muffin in it.

He couldn't say he was displeased at the subject being brought back to his grandmother, "She was from my mother's side, thankfully. She taught my mother how to cook but she hardly ever used it because she was away so often." He reached for his cup and downed the last of his drink before placing it back down. His voice was a little softer as he continued, the smallest of smiles unconsciously pulling at the corner of his lips. The uncomfortable stir in his gut from talking about his family began to settle, his shoulders dropping a bit with them. "So when they called my grandmother over to watch me while they were gone, she would teach me how to cook the meals she made for me. She was always so nice to me."

He looked back up at his team mate now, blinking a few times, the smile that could have been was already gone, "My grandfather on my father's side got him into volleyball. Though he was the exact opposite of my grandmother - strict and mean. Like Tsukishima but more- violent."

"Like Tsukishima?" Hinata found that interesting since Kageyama could barely put up with the guy; it must be different because parents don't usually act like that, but the word violent didn't exactly sit right either. That wasn't how he assumed one would describe a parent of any kind; pondering whether or not he wanted to ask about the matter further. While his thoughts bounced around, his leg joined in from under the table. The words didn't really find a way out, but a curious expression followed along with a slight tilt of the head. Kageyama just didn't seem to get along with his parents and Hinata decided it might be best not to nag about it. "I'm glad you and your grandma are close! She seems super awesome. I can't wait till we actually make something from her!"

"Hm, yeah, I suppose," Tobio mused, fiddling with the edges of the thin paper. "She left a book of recipes for me that I've got stashed in my room. We can always use that." He blinked up at his companion, arching a brow, "Though my kitchen is very limited so perhaps we could use yours? This way we have your mother on hand to save us should we fuss up."

"Oooh! We can make those meat buns, Kageyama." The ginger was pretty excited by the idea, not only for testing food, but also to see Kageyama's cooking abilities. He knew his own were almost nonexistent but hoped to get better., even if it was just cooking and not volleyball; it didn't lessen his determination with the skill or beating Kageyama. "My house would be awesome. You gotta tell me when you're free cause I know you've been with Suga. But since you're home now,  you can just text me." The wide smile on his face certainly held true to what he was saying. Having Kageyama over seemed fun now that they got along better. Picking up the water he was fiddling with earlier, he knocked the rest of the bottle back and down the liquid with a satisfied sigh only to flop his arms across the table a moment later. His expression certainly told what was wrong; Hinata had finally grown bored with sitting in the cafe. Not that it was a boring place, not at all, he just had a lot of energy to burn.

The other's usual enthusiasm seemed to reach into the ravenet's chest and slowly untie the knot that always sat there, thick and tight. A little ray of sunshine peeking through heavy storm clouds that always covered his mind. And he couldn't stop a little smile from gracing his lips when the other finally slumped over the table in defeat. It was gone when he stood up, swiping up his half of a muffin and cup, dumping the latter in the recycle bin as he walked towards the door. He gave the smaller boy a light smack on the shoulder with the back of his hand, nodding towards the door when he looked up at him.

"C'mon, let's go for a walk. You look about ready to roll over and die from sitting still so long." He huffed through his nose - a little laugh, "I'm honestly surprised you lasted this long."

The smile on Hinata's face reflected how grateful he was for the gesture towards the door, but it subsided quickly to a pout with the commentary, "I wouldn't die!" Pushing himself up, Hinata grabbed the empty bottle in front of him and tossed it in the recycle so he could follow. Overjoyed to be standing, his lips curled upward as he returned a light smack on Kageyama's shoulder. "I'll have you know I can sit all day at school!" The words were mostly used for his defense, even if it was thanks to sleep that he remained still. He was an athletic guy and with his boundless energy it was hard to sit around. "So where we going?"

Tobio gave a snort at the returned hit and ignored the taunt for banter, shrugging as he held the door open for the smaller boy, "No idea. I was thinking we could just walk around and, I don't know, window shop or something." He fell in beside the other boy and let the door close, offering the two employees inside a wave of farewell, which Yoichi returned. Seeing Kageyama wave, Hinata raised both his arms up and followed the others lead to say goodbye. Not for any reason in particular, but he wanted to he nice to the people he saw most everyday. "There wasn't anything in particular that I wanted to do," Tobio continued, sliding his hands into his front pockets and rotated his shoulder to readjust his bag's position behind him. "I was content to sit there till practice but I know you need to move around more than me."

"Window shopping sounds fun! That's what I do while waiting for my allowance." Hinata admitted. With the few chores he had, he sure liked to use the money, either for food at the cafe each morning or video games for days he hung with Kenma. More commonly, he loved to look at volleyball gear and see what he'd like to buy next time. "It's good exercise, too," he added, shoving his hands in his pockets and beginning to look around. "It's more fun to go in without knowing, anyways. Then you get to be surprised by what you end up doing, ya know? I never know if I'll spike the ball, but I love jumping with the anticipation of that spike sloshing into my hand!"

"Fair enough," Tobio sighed and gave the other's shoulder a friendly bump. "You only jump because you know I'll get the ball to you." He said it lightly enough, but even he was aware of his steadily worsening condition. He knew his physique was deteriorating, his mental state being held together as it dissolved. It was just... so easy to fall into bad habits. Or to destroy good habits like proper sleep schedules and dietary needs. He could at least keep up appearances around his team mates, but he was still terrified of one thing. What if he really couldn't get the ball to Hinata anymore? What if he failed in a moment of need and let everyone down? The very thought made a shiver run laps over his spine and his stomach try to race it. It made his fingers fold into fists in his pockets and his brow try to furrow before he stifled it. He was still with Hinata. He had to stay composed. He let a pause stretch between them as they walked before he slowed down subconsciously, coming to a stop. His eyes were on the ground but his mind was wrapped around a single terrifying question.

"Hey, Hinata," he started, taking a breath before looking up to the ginger. "What would you do if I couldn't get the ball to you anymore?"

Hinata's brow furrowed at his question, "What?" Hinata must have heard wrong because that was probably the most ridiculous thing Kageyama ever said besides the word 'impossible.' "Guess I'd have to pick up the slack for you!" His expression seemed completely baffled by the thought and for good reason; it was an incomprehensible idea. He knew his team mate was a spectacular setter and he made sure to look right back at his friend with a confident smile, giving the other's chest a bump with his fist after closing the distance between them. "And obviously remind you that you can't lose until I surpass you! So we would get you back to tossing normally again."

It was a reply Tobio had completely expected and yet it still took him by surprise. Some part of him had thought Hinata would say something dismissive of him as a setter; almost wanted him to. But the reply was cheerful and confident, with a little serious teasing to lift the mood and maybe the grim expression that was trying to settle over his face. There was only a breath of pause between them before Tobio snorted a laugh, and a grin cracked over his lips.

He walked forward till he was beside the spiker and huffed, "Then I guess I better stay on my toes. Not that you'll _ever_  surpass me with those shitty receiving skills." before passing him.

The snort was unexpected, but what was even more surprising was Kageyama's laugh. His expression looked so bright and the lighthearted sound was certainly a change. A change that left his stomach fluttering like the first time he'd walked into a gym for his first volleyball tournament. Kageyama wasn't volleyball, but he was phenomenal at it. Hinata was stunned only for a moment, a little entranced at the side of Kageyama he had just witnessed. He hadn't know the other to smile or even laugh often unless they were crude and plotting, so the gentle twist of lips and the slight blush that freckled the other's cheeks had him a little mesmerised. He felt heat tickle the back of his neck and the tips of his ears as he stuttered a reply. 

"O-Oh yes I will!" The small ginger yowled playfully, face breaking into a gleeful grin. Tobio only snickered at the other's banter, still smiling as he walked, eyes now gliding over items in the windows like they were supposed to be. The knot in chest was loose and a warm feeling washing over his skin from the grinning ball of sunshine that trotted along beside him.

"We'll see how long that lasts," the ravenet said as he dropped back to allow Hinata to lead. He watched the ginger bounce down the sidewalk, practically gleaming at the items in the windows as they passed them. He couldn't stop the smile from spreading over his face to reflect his friend's. A soft sigh escaped him, melting into the breeze before the display of the next window caught his attention, his walk slowing to a stop. Rows of plants sat on a series of shelves, potted in aesthetic flower pots and lined up to catch the sun. A few hanging baskets carrying a variety of vines and flowers decorated the front of the shop. The sign above the door had 'Sprout Nursery' painted in white and dressed with drawings of flowers in soft pinks. He didn't feel his lips part just a bit or stop himself from staring, something pulling at his heart, making it beat against his lungs as his breath caught in his throat.

A soft sound was coming from Hinata; one that could be recognized as humming, sweet and upbeat. His fascination with his surroundings gave him a delayed reaction to Kageyama's engrossment, only when he looked back to speak did he find that he left Kageyama by a store. Wiggling past a few people after turning around, the small ginger strolled back over. He gave his friend a once-over and then offered a bright smile for the display. It certainly was captivating so Kageyama wouldn't get a discontent Hinata for being ignored.

Taking in the sight a moment longer he turned back to Kageyama, his expression looked relaxed, calm even and it silently pleased the smol spiker, "I didn't know you liked plants!"

Tobio was lost in the plants he found familiar and the beauty in the ones that were unknown. His eyes landed on a small display of miniature succulents grouped together in tiny key-chain pots with little rain-forest covers on them; They were almost too perfect for portable care so he wouldn't have to leave them at home. He started at the other's voice, having not noticed he'd come up next to him. He turned to look at him as he felt his cheeks prickle with heat, no doubt turning the color of the decorative roses.

"D-Dumbass!" The ravenet stuttered, fiercely shoving his hands in his pockets before whipping his head to the opposite side with a hard 'tch'. "Who would like plants, anyways? They're girly!" Despite the spat words, he made no move to continue down the sidewalk, stubbornly pouting in front of the store and cursing the heat pounding in the back of his neck.

His teammate wasn't having that poor excuse for an answer and gave Kageyama a knowing smile, eyebrows raised, "You like plants!" His elbow playfully nudged into Kageyama's arm to emphasize his point.

"No I don't! Were you listening?" Tobio growled angrily, brow furrowing further when he turned to the other boy and saw that stupid, /knowing/ look on his face. He smacked the ginger's elbow away in an attempt to cover for the flinch when he felt the limb against his side.

Hinata found it funny to see Kageyama get so embarrassed. The scary setter could cook, but he didn't seem to find that embarrassing, even though it was considered a 'girly' thing to do by most people. It made him wonder why plants were enough to make him so flushed. Until that girly comment let thoiughts of Yukigaoka wash over him; how it didn't have a boy's volleyball team. Everyone had assumed he was on the girls team too. The only places he could even find to practice were with girls or women. People thought Volleyball was girly all through junior high for him, but it really wasn't.

"Who cares if it's girly? I don't think it is so don't worry!" The last line sounded a little teasing, but hopefully by poking his finger against the display glass, Hinata diverted Kageyama from noticing. "Which one do you like the best?" Hinata asked, curiously scanning all the colored selections. He certainly didn't know much about plants or flowers, but they were peaceful to observe.

Tobio grumbled something unintelligible when Hinata said plants weren't girly. An eyebrow twitched at the teasing tone and Tobio felt renewed color spread over his cheeks. His eyes flickered to the small succulents before he sighed and moved to walk away.

"It doesn't matter, anyways." His tone was annoyed but there was a very soft underlying tone of sadness there. "I'm not allowed to have plants at home."

"Oh." Hinata was surprised by that since growing plants or flowers didn't seem too difficult, they just need water and sunlight to stay alive after all. "Why not?" As if on cue, he followed Kageyama, attempting to keep up with him, feet falling into rhythm with the setter's. The other's angry expression caught him off guard and he let his head tilt to the side curiously.  
  
Tobio's glare snapped to the other boy for a moment before it returned to the sidewalk ahead. Honestly, how could this guy not read the obvious hints that he didn't want to talk about it.

He really loved plants, he wanted a plant, especially since they reminded him of his grandmother. He hadn't had any since his parents' marriage started slipping down the drain, when his mother had thrown away all of the plants in the house in a fit of rage after a particularly bad argument with his father. But ever since he came home after school that one day in middle school to find the last remnants of her destroyed by his own mother, he just couldn't being himself to talk about them without getting angry. He ground his teeth at the memory of coming home from school to broken pots and dirt everywhere, his heart breaking when he saw his precious garden had become a graveyard of crumbles petals and ripped roots.

"My mother just doesn't like them," was his gruff reply, almost grumbled to avoid shouting it at the small ginger angrily. "End of story." 

"Gosh, okay." A frown followed Hinata's words because the reasoning still didn't make sense in his head. In the past his mom didn't always like the same things as him, but they weren't for her, they were for him. Kageyama's mom was confusing what he knew to be true. Turning away from the setter, he glanced at the sky and then at random buildings around them. Anything but that malcontent expression on Kageyama's face.

Tobio waited a moment, then another, just walking down the sidewalk at a forced calm pace. His anger simmered down quickly, leaving him with a mixture of awkwardness and guilt as he continued next to Hinata. He felt bad for snapping about something so minut as a little curiosity into his liking for plants. His eyes drifted back to the other, watching his brown eyes drift around aimlessly, no longer truly interested in the displays in the windows. There was a somewhat disgruntled look on his face that Kageyama felt responsible for. He sighed and pulled out his phone to check the time: 8:54 am. It was almost time for morning practice. Could he really salvage this before 9:30?

He supposed he could try.

"S-So Hinata," he started, making sure he was staring ahead but making sure the other's attention was on him with his peripherals. "Is there something besides Volleyball and Video games that you like to do? Some kind of hobby?"

"Uh..." The back of his hands found their way to rest on his sides while Hinata thought it over, easily keeping pace with Kageyama's stride as he did so. "I like to go on runs with my dog! But I guess that's still pretty sports related. My house has a family night which is fun and I guess hanging with friends is a hobby?" He paused a moment to offer a shrug since he wasn't sure what technically counted as a hobby or not. "I stopped a lot of stuff I used to do in junior high after I started volleyball cause it was way more fun."

Tobio was never really one to pry into someone else's personal life, but he and Hinata had something different. And they were trying to be friends, so sharing some little pieces of themselves with each other seemed like a good thing to do. He wasn't surprised Hinata spent time with his family; they always sounded like they were good to him. It made him a little jealous sometimes when the spiker would share stories of his and his little sister's exploits.

But when he heard about the dog he blinked, looking back over to the ginger with a little look of surprise mixed with curiosity, "I didn't know you had a dog!" He felt his brow furrow a bit again, "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Huh! Did I really never tell you about her?" Looking back, Hinata realized he  really hadn't mentioned her. "Yeah, she was my dad's dog when I was little! Now she's mine." Offering an apologetic shrug for never relaying this he silently went down a checklist of things he might want to share besides the dog. It wasn't like he was trying not to tell Kageyama things; more like he just forgot to pass on all the information. "We have a cat too!" He quickly added after thinking it over. "But he belongs to Natsu. Their names are Nala and Bell."

The setter's eyebrows rose to his hairline, eyes widening to give him an excited cat look. He hadn't known the other had pets. A feeling of wariness crawled over his neck at the mention of the other's little sister's cat, as him and cats got along the worst. He actually still had a few scars from scratches and bites he'd gotten from the beasts. But it didn't stop him from liking them. He actually liked all animals but hardly any animal seemed to like him.

His gaze was still pointed and feline as he continued, "Those are... really cute names. But, uhm, well... Pets and I- don't exactly get along." His voice dropped to an almost mumble at the end, mouth curling into a tiny pout. 

Kageyama's expression was met with a shimmer in Hinata's soft, honey eyes. He was just as excited to have a conversation about his animal companions - even more so when the other person seemed just as intrigued.

"Yeah! My sister named Bell herself actually. My parents named Nala." He was obviously proud of this fact, even more so since Kageyama found it to be cute. "Ah... If you come over and they don't like you, we can keep them in another room, so don't worry! But I bet mine will like you! Well, maybe not right away, but we can warm them up to you!"

Tobio gave a nod, "I mean, I don't want to force you to hide them. It's not fair to them." He almost sounded a little sad. As scary and rough as the ravenet could be at times, he was always gentle with animals, or at least tried to show them he would be before they scurried off in a fright. It was something that shouldn't have bothered him, yet it did. At this point, he was more or less talking to himself, one hand reaching up to cup his chin between his thumb and the curve of his index finger, "It's their house. I'm the visitor. I shouldn't be the cause of them being penned up."

"It's okay!" Hinata waved a hand dismissively at Kageyama. "I'm more worried about you. Bell likes to stay away from people most of the time anyway. And Nala loves to run around outside, so she'd be okay too." He was glad to see how concerned Kageyama was for his pets though, and couldn't stop himself from chuckling. "If they're at least friendly around you, which I'm sure they will be, we can leave them alone okay?"

The setter merely replied with an unsure 'yeah' before they continued on, not really knowing where to take the conversation anymore. But his posture was more relaxed than it was about ten minutes ago, shoulders no longer hunched up and curled over with his fists shoved in his pockets. He was incredibly doubtful that Hinata's pets would warm up to him even if he spent a year at his house. That was just the way animals were with him. He'd never gotten a single animal, domesticated or otherwise, to like him no matter how hard he tried. At this point, he had simply accepted it, even though it also still bothered him.


	6. Early Bird Gets The Dank Memes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kageyama just can't get a good night sleep with the sun being up so early and sending him Dank Memes™ at 3 in the morning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I added a bunch of dialogue and whatnot to the end of the previous chapter - make sure you read it if you haven't yet. It's p cute.

After their walk, there was practice. They played a few practice matches in which he and Hinata made some amazing plays. His body moved how he wanted and his limbs hardly ached, the bruises from days before mostly faded by now. He'd gotten a concerned look from the vice-captain, but after Suga gave him a quick look over, he was reassured that the younger setter was alright. By the time practice was over and they all headed home, it was dark out, the only light from the street lights and the many stars above. His limbs felt stretched and worked out, aching in a good way. He waited for Hinata, who asked to walk home with him again earlier. Tobio ignored how the ginger kept a lookout for suspicious characters, giving the other side a job when the behavior got too out of control. They argued for a moment before settling down, walking the rest of the way in comfortable silence.

When he stopped a few houses from his own and sent the spiker off, he felt something pull at his heart, making it up as he watched the ginger ride away on his bike. He did his best to shrug it off and walk the rest of the way to his house. He was pleasantly surprised to find both his parents not at home, and sat quietly in relief after he finished his search to be sure. The shower was calling his name, so he had a long conversation with it before departing for bed. Hair towel dried, pajamas pleasantly cool on his skin which was still hot from practice and the shower; he could not be more comfortable as he collapsed against the sheets of his bed. He didn't have a chance to worry if he'd asleep or even check the time before his eyes fell closed and his diaphragm expanded with each peaceful breath. Nothing could ruin this sleep.

Naturally, he just had to be proven wrong.

His sleep was still and undisturbed for several hours until his phone, carelessly discarded on his bedside dresser, started lighting up in flashes. Each blink of light was followed by a double vibrate with each incoming message. It echoed through the room, dragging him from the only comfort of sleep he'd had since he graduated Middle School. His mind became aware, barely registering the lights playing over the outside of his eyelids.

He laid there for a moment, hoping that the lights would stop and he could return to sleep's warm embrace, but it soon became very apparent that sleep had abandoned him until the next night. So with a reluctant swing of his arm, his fingers latched onto the small device causing the disturbance in the room. He flicked open the phone, glaring at the screen, barely able to read the name that was Hinata.

What the fuck was this asshole doing up?

He blinked a few times, trying to clear his bleary vision before he gave up and started rubbing at his eyes with the back of his hand. He started scrolling through the messages, finding them to be untimely but humorous memes with accurate captions. But they did little to stay his rising irritation at being awoken. He glanced at the clock in the corner of his screen to find the colon standing steady between a 3 and a 21.

Tobio was going to kill him.

His thumb scrolled up through the messages, snickering to himself at the one about Tsukishima, despite being angry with the other. Another couple of messages came in while he was holding the phone, but he ignored it and typed a response to halt the onslaught of dank memes.

He got back a few startled messages and an apology, but he was still irritated as he typed a reply.

He rolled his eyes to himself before continuing to type, his body following as he shifted to his side.

He paused for a moment, judging on whether or not he even  _could_ go back to sleep. He was exhausted, and his eyes hurt from looking at his phone screen, but his mind was already cranking again, the gears turning so sleep had been chased off till the next night. He didn't particularly want to be alone with his thoughts at the moment anyways. The calm inside his head was nice, and Hinata seemed to be the only one who could make the turbulence in his brain settle down so he wanted to keep talking with him.

He felt a small grin pull at his lips as the other flustered to censor him; it was always amusing. He shifted his shoulders till he was half sprawled on his back, legs still twisted to the side as he held his phone slightly above and in front of him.

Tobio huffed out loud, grumbling his reply under his breath as he typed it.

He sighed for a moment, eyebrows furrowing as the deaf ringing in his ears steadily got worse. There was almost no noise in his house, and that fact alone set him off. He was used to his parents fighting or banging things around at night, even this early, so the peaceful silence was starting to make him restless. 

Maybe... maybe he could call Hinata, just to have another voice to listen to, something to fill the silence. His heart swelled at the thought of hearing the other boy's voice, and it startled him a bit, taking a moment to calm down by typing back to the small ginger.

He let his phone rest in his loose fingers, blinking slowly against the bright light. He may have been throwing some shade at his friend, but he was actually glad to have some company this late in the night. It had always been just him, sitting on the floor and propped up against the back of his bed or his dresser where he had been tossed aside after a beating from his father. So leaning against the coolness of his wall from the safety of his bed, tapping away at the keyboard for the warm conversation he was having with Hinata was a very welcome change. But the house was still quiet except for the clicking on his keypad and his shifting around. It unnerved him, as if it were the calm before the storm and his father was going to come bursting through the door at any moment.

The very thought sent a shiver up his spine and goosebumps washing over his arms. So he had sent the other a request, perfectly timed so it sounded casual.

'Can you call me'

He let his eyes rest, only having to wait a few moments before the screen lit up again and began a stronger series of vibrates. He opened his eyes to see the screen flashing 'INCOMING CALL Hinata Shoyo' paired with the dumb face Tanaka had taken of the ginger when he was imitating Kageyama's words when they first met at Karasuno. He clicked the answer button and held the receiver to his ear, barely getting a 'Hey' in before the other started babbling away excitedly. It made his ear ring.

"Hey Kageyama!! Wow! We've never called before, this is kind of cool," the other boy rambled, laughing at the end.

"Oi, you're too loud, dumbass," Tobio huffed, voice scratchy from not being used after he woke up. "It's still early."

"Right, my bad-" He heard the something 'fwump' on the other line, as if the other boy had slapped a hand over his mouth. It made him do a little huff through his nose and smile a bit to himself.  Even over the phone, he just knew the spiker was doing those many ridiculous hand motions to go with his speech. "I do that a lot. Sometimes I'm so loud that my mom or Natsu have to remind me to lower my voice..."

"Maybe you should try it in practice, too." Tobio blinked at the returned darkness, his phone screen dimming as it registered a call was going on, "You're always yelling way too much. You're going to lose your voice at this rate and then how will you call for balls?

"It's just how I talk. I open my mouth and I just want to be heard and the words come out automatically before I even think about it," the other explained. "Like gwaaa-!"

" 'Gwaaa'?" The ravenet repeated to himself quietly, before reaching up to cover a yawn. His brain may be active but his body was still very displeased at being woken from his restful state. "Well if you want to be heard so bad, I'm here to listen." He partially mumbled, flipping around so his whole body was face the other side. He placed his phone beside his pillow on speaker and turning down the volume a bit.

Hinata echoed the contagious yawn from Kageyama's end of the phone, "Thanks." There was a slight pause, as if the other were debating on saying something. "You can talk to me too, Kageyama."

"I'll keep that in mind," the setter replied flatly, not really thinking much about it. He knew the other had good intentions but he didn't want to involve him in his home life. He didn't need to be exposed to that if Tobio could help it. "So, is there anything in particular keeping you up?" He asked, letting his eyes close as the question came out. It's not like they needed to be open to talk on the phone

"I don't think so?" Hinata admitted honestly, "Sometimes I just can't sleep."

"Are you sure?" Tobio asked after letting silence fill the space for a moment. He was almost never one to press a matter like this, but if the other had no idea, than maybe he could help him trace it back to the source and fix it so he could sleep. It was better than both of them being dead on their feet for practice tomorrow.

"I'm sure."

"You're not thinking about Tanaka or Asahi's spikes again, are you? I know they get you hyped up and excited." He reached up to messily run a hand over his face for a minute before his fingers threaded into his bangs. "Thinking about the Summer Interscholastics? The training camp next week? Volleyball in general?"

"Ah- I wasn't thinking about all that, but now I am!" Tobio thought he could hear something like tapping feet against a mattress from the other end of the line as the ginger responded. "It's gonna be so awesome."

Tobio snickered to himself, "Sorry. But don't get distracted at practice thinking about them." His hand fell to the pillow, eyes turning to the darkness swimming above him.

"I won't," he could practically hear the normal smile on Hinata's face through his words.

"I can't wait to play against Nekoma again. And all those other strong teams." He felt a tired grin pull at his lips, "I heard one of them is Fukurodani. Even Nekoma has trouble handling them." The very fact made him shiver with anticipation, eager to get on the court and let the squeak of volleyball shoes on polished wood and the impact of sports leather against skin fill the air.

"Me too!" The other cheered before realizing he was being too loud again, lowering his volume with a chuckle.

"We'll have to ask the coach and Takeda for more details later," he continued instead of scolding the other for his loud voice a second time. The spiker's voice, even just his laugh, seemed to actually relax the ravenet back into a peaceful state. Blue eyes, made black by the shadows of the room, looked into the dark through shaded lids while he was laying lazily curled on his side. They seemed to get heavier with each blink, becoming harder to open each time. He yawned again, "So how about those practice games today?" They'd split the gym in half for two different two-on-two games to go on at once. Hinata and Tobio had been split up for a few of them, on different sides of the net on opposite sides of the court. "Was yours any good? I saw that nice receive near the end. Maybe there's hope for you yet."

"It was amazing! I loved getting to spike, of course. But I started getting blocked so we needed to change things up... Stupid Tsukishima." Hinata explained with a frustrated huff. "I'm definitely going to pay him back for that. Oh, how were yours?"

"Mm, it was alright," he replied, subconsciously nuzzling into his pillow a bit more. "It was hard to spike past the Captain's receives. He and Nishinoya were brutal." He blindly reached for his phone for a second before dragging it a little closer, peeking through one eye to see the time. They'd only been talking for half an hour and yet he was already ready to pass out again. How did the other have this kind of effect on him? "I can't believe they let them be on the same team. That was just overkill."

Tobio felt at such ease, just laying there talking to his team mate. His lungs were full of air and his chest was light, heart beating softly. It had been a long time since he'd had this kind of peace.

"That sounds insane!" The ginger said with that sort of whiny laugh he did when he wanted to be the one in the situation. "I like when the odds are stacked against me because it makes victory all the sweeter. I can just focus really well when it's like that too, ya know?"

"I know what you mean," the ravenet responded.

"I hope we can be on the same team next time!" Hinata blurted out, as if without any prior thought. That caught Tobio a little off guard, and he blinked in surprise to himself. He found himself scoffing; not in the dehumanizing way, but in the more humored way. It was almost a snort as his lips pulled themselves into a grin.

"Yeah, maybe if you could actually receive, we'd be perfect," he replied, his last word melding into a sigh. "Hey," he said tiredly after a moment, "Tell me about your games. Just- ramble. I'm running out of things to talk about."

"Oh, okay!" He started off bragging with what he did best that day, avoiding his mistakes since he didn't want to dwell on those, much less tell Kageyama about them. "Well it was amazing like 'pwah' and then 'gwuah'! I was running all over the court and jumping everywhere to try and get past Tsukishima and Yamaguchi." He hummed to himself, "I even pulled off some great serves! Well, maybe not as great as you or the Grand King, but... You're too good and Oikawa's the Grand King for a reason."

It was like the other boy's voice was woven with magic, casting a spell on him that made his heart beat all too fast and too slow at the same time. His breathing regulated out, and he heard something about Oikawa before reality melted away, falling to sheltered and quiet darkness. He was long asleep while the other continued the call, Hinata's rambling a quiet lull in the wee hours of the morning for Tobio to doze to.

Hinata's thoughts drifted back to their loss against Aoba Johsai, only to be brushed aside quickly by continued rambles. "I bet your serves were still impressive today, as usual. I hope I get in better spikes tomorrow; from you would be great, because it's hard to get past tall blockers without them." Well, maybe not for other players. Hinata knew Kageyama was always phenomenal at volleyball, like a fish in water. It always bothered the ginger how natural and amazing his friend played; sighing loudly before he kept speaking.

"Ya know Kageyama, you're always too good. You always seem so in control and I know I don't have to worry about you. It's more like you always have to worry about me and help me, but sometimes... Especially recently, I have been - weird? You're the best and you probably don't need me worrying about you, you even get mad when I do, but I don't know why I am." The hand that was laying on his stomach clenched the fabric of his night shirt, unable to keep himself from pulling his bottom lip in to nibble on anxiously. "Maybe it's that you're getting hurt and I can't do anything about it. You do so much for me; you're the reason I even play as good as I do, and I wish I could help you too."

Silence enveloped the room and no reply came from the other line, it racked his nerves and suddenly he felt very anxious for saying what he did, "Kageyama? Kageyama, are you there?" Pulling his phone from his face, he inspected the screen to see the call was sill going on; it was. "Hello?" Realization dawned on him. "Oh... Guess you fell asleep." His broke off into a quiet laugh, almost relieved nobody heard him say all that sensitive stuff. "Well, thanks for listening, I guess. Even if you won't remember it in the morning. It felt good to tell you that even if you are asleep. I'm actually glad you're sleeping because you always look so tired. See you at the coffee shop, Kageyama." He felt a little lighter, but looking at the time he isn't see himself sleeping and still getting up to meet Kageyama. So, sitting up, he ended the call so he could get up.

It wasn't until the other hung up nearly an hour and a half later and silenced filled the room, did Tobio come back to consciousness, sleep disturbed by the lack of the vocal presence of his friend. Bleary eyes dusted with sleep sand managed to make out the time on his phone as nearly six in the morning. When the ravenet finally sat up and started getting ready for the day, the front door was slammed open and a pair of heavy footfalls came trudging down the hall to his room. When his father burst through the door, red faced and inebriated, Tobio finally realized that his peaceful night had come to an end. Reality was truly a harsh awakener.


	7. Star Struck

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hinata has to pee in the middle of the night and wants Kageyama to be his bathroom buddy, but wakes up to find the setter missing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some scenes described in this chapter may be disturbing to some readers. Reader discretion is advised.
> 
> This one had a funny twist in the beginning because I was joking about it with a friend and we decided to actually make it happen. So that's one from us, you're welcome.
> 
> The rest is agony. Enjoy.

Tobio had practically begged his father not to beat him, at least not on his face or limbs. He had pleaded to the drunken brute to hit him anywhere but those parts because people were getting suspicious of their origins, and with the training camp a week from now, he would do anything to keep himself clear of bruises or cuts in places that would be visible during the day.

Somehow, his father agreed. Though no word of acknowledgement was given, the elder Kageyama would only strike his son only where it wouldn't be seen, even in his inebriated states. Tobio endured, even though he was only beaten twice before the training camp, taking both with hardly a complaint. When he finally was able to get to the school a week later, duffel bag of equipment and clothes hanging heavily on his shoulder, the bags under his eyes equally weighted, he was given concerned and worried glances by the captains and coaches that went unnoticed by him.

He slide past Hinata and slumped into the seat next to him, barely acknowledging any sort of greeting given by the ginger and leaning against the window of the bus. He was asleep within minutes, even before everyone had boarded and roll-call was done, almost getting marked missing by Takeda before Yamaguchi pointed out his slumped figure in the seat. The ride to the training camp was long, but even though he slept through nearly all of it, Tobio awoke disoriented and even more exhausted than before. The day before them was even rougher, being thrown straight into stretches and rotating practice matches with the other five teams. The penalty laps made his limbs feel as if his father _had_ beaten them for the past week. He persevered, if only to get the eyes of the coaches and his seniors off of him, including the new ones from the other teams, who weren't as dumb as some of them looked.

The setter couldn't have been more relieved when the practice matches and free practice were called to an end, trudging back to their team's room all the ready to collapse onto a soft futon. He was able to get through a shower without exposing his bruised and rattled torso; a difficult task when surrounded by a dozen other first years in a somewhat cramped shower room. Finally he was left to lay in a cool bed on the floor, surrounded by snoring companions and distorted mumbles. And while his body sought to join them, his mind was still racing. Thoughts he didn't want to have kept zooming through his head, replaying foul memories and sour could-be scenarios over and over again until his exhausted body became to restless to lay still under a blanket any longer.

Years of sneaking out of his house lest he wake his wrathful father gave him the skills needed to slip from his bed and weave through the room, floor littered with sleeping bodies that he left completely undisturbed. The sliding door hardly made a noise as he opened it enough to slip his thin frame through, closing it with the smallest of thunks. Bare feet made no noise on wooden floors as he walked down the short hallway that lead to the balcony, leaving the glass sliding door open behind him when he exited the building.

Night had long since draped its lengthy sheet over the sky, the fabric woven with glittering lights that held true no matter what went on below them. The ravenet looked up at them with a mixed look of longing and envy, face layered with deep shadows as his back stood to the singular deck light with its cluster of wispy companions. The night held a surprisingly cool breeze after the scorching day, tousling ebony hair that seemed flecked with blue highlights. He crossed his arms before him and leaned onto the balcony's wooden fence, the only thing that kept him from falling to his untimely death three stories below.

How unfortunate _that_ would have been.

"Hey Kageyama!"

Tobio had fallen into a state of zen with his surroundings before a chipper greeting sounded behind him. It snapped through his state of peace, unexpected and sending a bolt of adrenaline through him as he whipped around. Some subconscious part of him thought it was father, screaming as he came up behind him before a heavy hit would fall before the many to follow. He felt fear choke out his breath for a moment, crossing his expression when he laid eyes on his short, ginger friend.

His heart was beating wildly in his chest, and his lungs screamed for deeper breaths but he forced them to make do with normal ones. He blinked, reigning in his expression again as it turned to a more annoyed one.

"K-Keep your voice down, dumbass," he hissed irritably before turning back to the air. He couldn't believe the other had caught him off guard like that, even causing fear in him. The back of his hand came to rest in front of his mouth, a shameful heat washing over his neck and ears. Hinata, the one person who Tobio knew would never lay a hand on him after the last training camp incident, had caused real fear in him, if only for an instant.

Taking a step forward, Hinata rubbed the back of his neck before letting his arms dangle at his sides once more. He didn't speak up right away and chose his words carefully. "Sorry, didn't mean to sneak up on you. Did you have a bad dream or something?." His voice was much softer now, lower than his usual volume. "I didn't think I'd scare you..." 

The ravenet hunched over himself a bit, head sinking between his shoulders in subdued guilt. The silence made him think the other had left, but when he heard the ginger still behind him, voice soft and much more tentative to come forth, Tobio felt a mixture of relief and anxiety.

"...Yeah, something like that," he mumbled, hand coming to rub the back of his neck to try and settle down the hairs tingling there. His face halfway turned to the other, less scowling and more neutral now. "Why are you up? You were sleeping like a rock the second you fell onto your bed." The ravenet straightened up a bit, turning partially to the other boy so his side was against the wood row, balancing his weight against it with his hip. "Tanaka and I had to roll you off to get your covers out from under you."

The other huffed at the embarrassing explanation of his falling asleep, but shrugged as a reply. He wanted to see if he could get Kageyama to say anything regarding what was wrong and moved to rest beside him; eyes glued to the sky to distract himself from the warm flush creeping onto his cheeks.

"You know, if you ever want to talk, I'm here to listen." He glanced at Kageyama. He didn't want to force him into talking, but if he had a nightmare or was scared, Hinata wanted to be there. "So if you need anything-- yeah." A pout found its way to his face and he shrugged awkwardly after he finished speaking.

Of course Hinata was worried. How could he not be when Tobio couldn't even keep his composure when the spiker accidentally snuck up on him? He turned back to the air when the other came to stand beside him, elbows on the wooden beam as his hands hung over the ledge.

"I know that." His voice was surprisingly soft, eyes half lidded as his gaze looked up to the same stars his friend was now sharing with him. He let the silence fill the space between them for a moment. "Hinata," he finally said, refusing to turn his eyes from the sky in fear that looking at the other boy might make him lose his composure. "I'm-- scared... of a lot of things." His eyebrows furrowed in his brow, digging ravines in the skin above his eyes.

"Most of them I can ignore and they'll work themselves out. But some of them I can't. And some of them scare me so bad that I can't sleep or even eat sometimes... I don't want you to feel that kind of fear." He took a breath, releasing it slowly as his fingers weaved themselves together, "What I'm trying to say is, I really appreciate that you want to listen. Even saying this much helps, but-" he tore his gaze from the starlit sky to stare at the shadows on the woodgrain, "I'm alright. I can handle this. I don't need to tell you anything because just you standing next to me right now is enough to get me through this."

"Remember when I told you, that as long as I'm here, you're invincible?" He was finally able to look at his friend, his spiker, "I feel invincible when you're with me, too."

At first, Hinata thought everything was going to be brushed off with a simple 'I know', but his own name caught him off guard. He looked at Kageyama, stared at him, so his full attention could be given as the other spoke. It felt crucial like he'd never get another chance at this. So he swallowed the lump in his throat and silently felt his anxiety rise; wondering what could have Kageyama so scared. Each word left him more and more clueless as to what could he going on. What could effect sleeping and eating so badly; could even make Hinata scared if he knew? He wanted to help, but everything seemed so out of his hands. Unlike in volleyball he couldn't be the offense and attack what Kageyama couldn't.

The last comment left a warm energy in his chest; an uplifting feeling that made him smile pensively. "R-Right! We're invincible together and I'll - I'll be there! Wherever and whenever I'm needed."

Hinata's positive reception made all the anxiety that was clawing at his skin wash away, the knot in his chest undoing itself with a snap that let a warmth fill his core. The smile on the other boy's face pulling a small one onto his own. Hinata's eyes never left Kageyama's face, but the smile caught him off guard; the laughter. His head tilted to the side because he didn't think he said anything funny. Tobio's eyes crinkled shut with a laugh as he did something that could probably count as something that scared him.

One hand very gently reached over, wrapping itself behind the ginger's head, fingers threading through fiery locks as his forehead came to meet the other boy's. It was warmer than his own skin, and soft and oddly comforting. It was nothing like the violent pounding of fist on flesh; just a gentle touch that lasted but a moment.

"Thanks. That's... It's what I needed to hear."

The ginger stiffened when a hand reached out for him but only because it surprised him. Kageyama's hold was gentle and he relaxed into the setter's touch after a moment, blush dusting his face and ears. This entire scenario caught him off guard and he felt his heart skip a beat when their foreheads touched. It was cool, refreshing against his warm face. The contact felt nice, a little weird also, but they were both odd since day one as the team liked to remind them.

"... Kageyama." He didn't want to break the moment but he had to, blinking a couple times and let his eyes fall to the floor. He was glad his words seemed to lift Kageyama's spirits, but he had a problem of his own. "I have to pee."

Tobio blinked as well, dark blue meeting brown that seemed like hardened caramel in the shadows of the night. The statement was so blunt yet it cut through the mood like a knife sharpened to the atom. Tobio gave a snort, the action pulling his forehead away from Hinata's by a few centimeters. He slipped away from the other, standing tall again before the back of his hand met the ginger's chest with a light smack.

"Way to kill the mood, dumbass," the ravenet said with a crooked smile, cheeks lightly flecked with red in the crappy lamplight.

Hinata really hadn't meant to blurt that out, but it was why he was here in the first place. He couldn't help but laugh too as a hand connected with his chest; something he instantly regretted as he wiggled back and started hopping up and down uncomfortably. He really did have to go and his over dramatic reactions were acted out with no shame.

"Okay, but-" He exhaled sharply and kept himself grounded long enough to gesture towards the door a few times. "I woke up because I needed the bathroom and I was going to ask you to come..., But you weren't there!" His face looked momentary troubled as he imagined going alone. The thought of meeting other players that he most certainly wanted to avoid left him discontent. It always happened, he always ran into the wrong people. "Bathroom visits don't usually end well when I go alone."

Tobio only rolled his eyes but moved to head for the door anyways, giving a lazy gesture of follow after closing the glass slider when Hinata had stepped through, "Alright, scared-y cat, I'll chaperone you this time." He'd heard tales of the other's exploits to the bathroom during tournaments or practice games at other schools, often colliding with players that would seem rather intimidating to the smaller boy. Tobio supposed the least he could do for the guy after putting up with his melodrama was go to the bathroom with him.

Hinata just clicked his tongue and followed the setter towards the bathrooms. He had to pee and was in no mood to argue about if he was a scared-y cat or not; which he wasn't. Any normal person would want to be able to relieve themselves in peace and go back to bed.

The walk to the restroom was a short one, being around another hallway between the Karasuno and Nekoma rooms. Tobio's hands were slung into his pockets as he walked, one sliding out to push the door open before he noticed it was already cracked open and the light was on. And before a particular noise stopped them both absolutely dead in their tracks.

Well.

Several noises, in fact.

"You've got to be joking," he practically whispered, eyebrow twitching as his face widened in horror at another sound trickling out the crack in the door. The small ginger frozen beside him shot him a glance, his face holding a serious expression.

"I think it's occupied," he deadpanned.

Tobio was somewhat frozen for a moment, both in discomfort and second-hand embarrassment for what was going on just behind the other side of the door. Another moment of silence filled the air after Hinata's comment, or what would have been silence except for the moans and grunts and what he thought was a rhythmic slapping.

He turned on his heel and immediately started walking down the hall again, "There's a bathroom between Fukurodani's and Shinzen's rooms."

Tobio felt lighter than air. He'd been able to sleep peacefully when he and Hinata returned from their bathroom adventure, thankful to find the one between Fukurodani and Shinzen quiet and devoid of high schoolers in compromising positions. He found himself seeking closer proximity to the ginger in sleep, the discovery upon waking leaving him with a mix of warm and windy emotions. They left him as breathless as if he'd spent the entire night practicing diving receives.  
  
Speaking of diving receives, he and his teammates had just finished a penalty lap after losing their match to Nekoma when the final whistle blew, signaling that the practice matches were over. The ravenet felt a grin smear itself on his face as he wiped away sweat, knowing that now they were allowed to do free practice. He took the towel that Yachi offered him, giving her a polite 'thank you.'  
  
"Hey Hinata!" He called over to the ginger, turning his head so his eyes could lock on to his spiker a little ways away. "You're still fine, right? Let's practice the falling quick."   
  
The ginger perked up, practically choking on his water to give the ravenet a positive affirmation. He grabbed Yachi, dragging her along so she could toss balls for them again, not that she had much complaint. Practice went along perfectly, Tobio syncing up with Hinata much better than in the practice matches, his tosses stopping in midair right where he wanted them to. They kept going until everyone else had filtered out in favor of food and baths, leaving the three of them in the gymnasium alone. He got sucked into the practice, grin strapped to his face and mind blatantly ignorant of the aches of his torso. Another successful combo, he and his spiker both fist-pumping the air with cheer, and Yachi smiling wide and bright.  
  
"Yachi! Yachi! Send us another one!" Hinata chirped, bouncing in place as the smaller blonde reached into the bin for another ball.  
  
"Yes, sir!" She chirped back, tossing another ball high for Kageyama to toss.  
  
Tobio watched with a sharp focus as the ball was sent into the air, readying his body to jump up to meet it for a more powerful jump-toss.  He got too into it, his shirt that was tucked into his shorts coming undone and flowing freely when he jumped.  He received it with an almost perfect finger-tip bed. When sport leather hit his fingers, he just knew it was going to be a good toss. A flick of his wrists familiarly ingrained in his muscles sent the ball off again. It flew on its predestined route, the rotation cutting itself off at just the highest impact point, allowing the spiker to hit it anywhere he chose.  
  
Hinata stared at the ball Yachi sent up with hungry eyes, watching as it traveled through the air and made its way to Kageyama. The ginger started his run, reaching the net as his knees bent, arms swung back as he continued to watch the ball. He saw it hit the other boy's fingertips, but didn't see it go into the air. In that one moment, his eyes were drawn to a very dark mark peeking out from under white fabric. many small blotches of red and pinks surrounded a very large blooming mark of purples and blues and reds all running together like ink on white paper. His feet tripped up and he stumbled, catching himself before he fell, his expression of thirst for a spike now a mix of horror and betrayal.

The spike never came. The ball flew to the perfect point of impact and stopped, falling to the floor untouched. It bounced next to Hinata and rolled away, the sound echoing through the now empty gymnasium. Tobio blinked at it as if it were a foreign object before annoyance filled his gut.

"What the hell, dumbass?" He growled before turning back to Hinata, "That was a perfect toss, why didn't yo-" His words cut themselves off, his tongue tripping up when he saw the twisted look on the ginger's face. There was silence for a moment, Yachi looking between the two with confusion and a slight apprehensiveness, subconsciously turning the ball in her hands that she had been prepared to throw next.

"There's a bruise," Hinata finally said, his voice sounding as if it weren't his own, like it was coming from an outside speaker somewhere. "On you. A really big bruise."

Tobio felt the color drain from his face, felt all his limbs tense up at the observation. His eyes widened with the realization of what had happened. He'd been too careless; he'd forgotten to retuck his shirt back into his shorts. It must have come up enough when he did his jump toss that Hinata was able to see it.

He tried to brush it off, "You're gunna get a huge bruise the next time you miss my toss, dumba-!" He was cut off again, this time by Hinata straightening himself up and his face twisted in anger as his words were shouted over the setter's.

"Why is it there?" Hinata cried, hands bawling into fists at his side as he glared at the other boy. "How did it get there? You were supposed to be fine when you went home!" One fist came up to splay its fingers over his chest with a thump, "We're friends! You're supposed to tell me if something happens to you!"

At this point, Tobio recovered from his state of shock at the other calling him out of his avoidance of the question. He tried to keep his voice calmer, or at least at a lower octave.

"No I can't! I told you I can't." He hissed back, swinging one hand to the side. "So just butt out and leave it be."

"How am supposed to just leave it be when there's a huge black bruise under your shirt!" He was screaming now, but Hinata couldn't help himself with how stubborn his setter was being. He closed some of the distance between them, growling, "What happened to us being invincible together? What happened to you being invincible when I'm with you?"

Tobio had to stop himself from taking steps backwards as the other approached, forcing himself to stay in place. Images from the last training camp were flashing in front of his eyes. How he'd grabbed Hinata and thrown him to the ground, how Hinata and tackled him and they'd started beating on each other in a fury. He could feel his limbs start to shake at the memory of the pain, of the hurt that was left inside when Tanaka had physically pulled them apart.

"You weren't there when it happened!" Was all the ravenet could reply, trying to keep his voice from shaking. "It doesn't matter, anyways. It's not your business. What happens to me doesn't matter because I'm not important." The hand that had been thrown to the side came up to grip the front of his shirt. "All you need to worry about is volleyball and trust in me to get the ball to you!"

That is what really set Hinata off. He closed the distance, both fists finding solace in the fabric of Kageyama's shirt collar and wrenching him down to face him at his level.

"Is that what you think of yourself?" He shouted into the other boy's face, "That' you're not important? That all I gave a crap about is volleyball?" He shook the other boy a bit to emphasize his words. "I care about you! I care if you're okay! The whole point of this is that we're going to trust each other wholly and equally. I trust you more than anyone and I want you to be able to trust me the same way. Why can't you get through your thick stupid head that you're important to me!"

The violent reaction clicked the trigger for Tobio to actually start trembling, for the fear that had been clawing at his chest to finally scrape over his face and fill his eyes. One hand came to meet Hinata's wrist and forcefully wrenched one fist off his shirt as he stumbled back a couple steps.

"I know you care about me, that's why it's not your business," was his quieter response, voice trembling almost as much as his body as he choked out the words. "If you try to get involved, you'll just get hurt. I don't want you getting hurt because of me!"

"Obviously I'm not the one who needs protecting here!" Hinata was getting sick of this looping argument, letting go of the other with his other hand and turning his back. "I don't need you protecting me! But I'm not going to spike the ball from a setter who can't trust me." He hurriedly grabbed his jacket and knee pads, scooping up his water bottle and towel as he headed for the door. 

At this point, Yachi seemed to snap out of her terrified phase, glancing between the two as Hinata continued his leave and Kageyama seemed frozen in place, a mix of fear and regret painting his features as he debated on whether or not to follow his teammate. When it became clear that Kageyama wasn't going to go after him, Yachi abandoned the ball in her hands to the floor and trotted to catch up to the smaller spiker, leaving Kageyama in the gymnasium that suddenly seemed twice as big as before, alone.

"Hinata!" She called, as she finally caught up to him, matching his stride. "Hinata, I know that you're worried - I mean, I would be too if I saw that kind of injury on my friend." She tentatively pushed a lock of hair behind her ear, nervously avoiding looking at the other when he was enraged like this. "It's not my place, but maybe... what you did was a little over the top?"

Hinata was already cooling down, all of his violent energy put into stomping his feet into the ground and angrily swinging his arms as he walked. He grumbled under his breath till he burned himself out, coming to a halt halfway to the dining hall before replying to his friend.

"I just don't get why he won't let me help," He huffed, looking to the side as he crossed his arms. "He says he knows he can talk to me and then I see _that_  kind of thing on him... I just got so mad and it piled on top of this... worry for him that I didn't want to have because he's Kageyama and he's supposed to be the strongest and nothing is supposed to beat him before me." He ran a hand through his fluffy hair, still damp at the roots with sweat, "Augh, I just feel like he still looks down on me and I wanted him to understand what it was like to have to look at someone you know is hurting and not be able to do anything about it."

Yachi was quiet for a moment before stifling her resolve and putting a hand on Hinata's shoulder, bringing his attention to her, "I understand that. But you did it all wrong, Hinata." Caramel locked with honey as she continued; he noted how worried she was, how there were still leftover traces of fear in her eyes. "It's just... when you stepped towards him, when you grabbed him by the collar of his shirt- He looked terrified." She took her hand off his shoulder, her fingers meeting together and weaving through one another in front of her breast. "Maybe you were too mad to see it, but he was shaking all over, Hinata..."

Hinata's eyes glazed over with disbelief. The whole argument had been a blur of shouted words and violent emotions; he couldn't remember any of Kageyama's expressions or his body language. He'd been too angry to see them, just wanting to get his point across. Regret and guilt pulled at his innards, making his breath hitch in his throat as heat flared up behind his eyes. The corners became damp and he quickly wiped at them with the side of his hand.

"That doesn't change the fact that he doesn't trust me." With that, Hinata continued towards the dining hall, though much slower. Yachi glanced back at the gym they'd been using. The lights were still shining through the high window, and the echo of volleyballs hitting the floor filtered out the doorway. She took one step, paused, and then kept going, following Hinata back to the dining hall. She'd just tell Daichi or Sugawara about what happened. Maybe they could go and talk to Kageyama to make sure he was alright. She had a feeling that if anyone knew what was going on with him, the captain and vice-captain would be her best bet.

Tobio was left to his wildly spinning thoughts racing through his mind so fast he felt dizzy. The vast room was silent, and he could hear distant talking; probably Yachi trying to comfort Hinata. It was better that way. He didn't know what he should do, or what he would have even said if he had been the one to chase after the storming ginger. Being left in the gym alone was the better option. At least he wouldn't have to try to pass off the tears trickling down his cheeks as sweat.

He couldn't get that Hinata's face out of his mind. How could the sweet and charming smile decorating his cute face turn so violent and angry. And out of what, concern? That's not what triggered that kind of response; at least, not in Tobio's experience. 

He walked over to the ball bin, picking up a ball and tossing it in the air. Hinata's angry face came to mind as he spiked it over the net and onto the floor, the resounding thwack echoing through the gym. He picked up another ball and did the same, angrily hitting it to try and distract himself from the tears still trickling down his face. He kept hitting and spiking till his hand was red and balls were scattered around both ends of the court, his eyes cried out and ringed with red irritation. 

Trudging over to the wall next to the ball bin, he let his back flop against it and slid to the floor, bringing his knees into his aching chest. It was like someone had taken a knife and carved out his heart. It hurt and it throbbed and it ached. He wanted it to stop. He'd take a hundred more beatings if it meant this pain would go away. He'd toss a thousand more balls to Hinata if the empty feeling practically suffocating him would just let him breathe. His head fell down, hair forming a shelter around his face with the help of his knees.

He didn't know how long he stayed there, wallowing in his own self pity and hatred. But eventually he heard the voices of Sugawara and Daichi, calling his name through the haze that had wrapped itself around his mind. He heard a couple pairs of foot steps followed by the sound of bodies entering the gym. They split up, talking to each other before he heard one pair near him and stop.

"Oh, Kageyama!" It was Daichi, the captain's voice laced with concern when he found him. He turned over his shoulder to call back to Suga, who'd gone to check the locker rooms and had only just reached the door. "Hey, Suga! He's over here." Daichi kneeled in front of the first year as the silveret came trotting over, "Kageyama, what happened?"

The ravenet blinked to bring himself back to reality, registering that he was being talked to. He shifted a bit before slowly raising his head and blinking tiredly to adjust his eyes to the light outside of his sheltered resting place. He looked up at the two seniors, unable to keep the sad look under his exhaustion.

"Captain... Suga," he mumbled, voice a little scratchy from his attempts at strangling any outward cries that came with his earlier tears.

"Kageyama," Suga said this time, bringing the first year's eyes to him, "Yachi said something happened between you and Hinata."

The youngest blinked a few times, unfolding a bit and rubbing at one eye with the heel of his palm, "Yeah, we just... got in an argument. He got pissed and stormed out."

"Seems like it was more than just an argument to me," Daichi said, but when the other refused to respond to his underlying attempt at asking for more details, he just sighed and brought a small smile to his face. "Well, in any case, you don't look like you're in any condition to clean up, so we'll do it."

The younger setter gave the both of them an apologetic look which Suga waved off politely, adding his own bright smile to console the first year, "Don't give us that face. It's been a rough night for you. We just want you to get some food and go to bed, alright?" 

Tobio nodded, allowing Daichi to give him a hand in standing, "Yeah."

"Now wait for us and we'll walk back with you," the captain said with a supportive smile. "We'll be done in no time." 

And they were indeed, shutting the lights off on the clean gym and Daichi locking the doors behind them as they exited. The captain made sure Tobio at least had a little something to eat, having asked their lovely manager to put aside a plate for him when they left to find him since he missed dinner. They showered with Kageyama, since they had missed their turns to do so earlier, and the first year managed to hide his bruised body from them. Most of the other team mates were already asleep when they got back, only Tsukishima left scrolling through his iPod in the corner and Ennoshita dicking around on his phone while waiting for the two seniors to come back.

The second year wasn't surprised when Kageyama came in behind them, noting the tinge of red around the first year's eyes but smiled nonetheless, "Nice of you to join us, Kageyama."

The ravenet gave a nod, feeling as if all his emotions had been shackled and caged, yet he found himself hesitating to move to where his futon lay beside Hinata's. The three upperclassmen shared a knowing look since Ennoshita was quick to pick up on things like this.

"He's already out cold," the second year said in a hushed tone, waving a hand dismissively. Tobio turned to looked at him with slightly raised brows, a little surprised to find that he knew who the setter was worried about. "It's safe." 

Tobio merely looked between the three upperclassmen and gave a small nod, soundlessly picking his way through the dark without tripping over a single body. The mass under the covers next to his futon was still, buried in fabric so only a few  orange curls from the top of Hinata's head poked through. He slid under his blanket with ease, hearing the upperclassmen do the same before Daichi told Tsukishima to go to bed, which was received with a dull 'kay' before the glowing light faded and turned off.

All was draped in darkness, the air quiet with soft breathing and gentle rustles under covers. It was peaceful, but the ceiling was bland. No stars to paint the space above his eyes, no breeze to comfort him. It was suffocatingly warm with all these bodies in one room and something about laying next to the guy he'd almost gotten into a fist fight with earlier just didn't sit well. It made his stomach do flips which unsettled the food he had been forced to eat earlier. He persevered for about an hour, then made his silent escape out of the room to the balcony once again, managing to leave unnoticed. 

But for some reason, the soft breeze seemed to rip his breath from him, and the light from the tiny singular lamp seemed disorientingly bright. Leaning on that ledge and looking up at the countless stars above him with no ginger boy to share it with made him feel more alone than he had felt in years, and he hugged himself subconsciously as heat pressed against the back of his eyes for a second time that day.


	8. The Elephant In The Room

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kageyama's Dad throws him out of the house in a drunken rage and Kags msgs Hinata asking if he can use his shower.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some scenes in this chapter may be disturbing to some readers. Reader discretion is advised.
> 
> Some OC interactions, a couple ice breakers, and lots of heartbreaking angst. What more could you want?
> 
> This chapter was originally wayyyy longer and is going to be broken into two chapters, but I'll post the other one later.

The training camp seemed to both speed by and crawl along as slow as it could manage. He and Hinata we're hardly on speaking terms; inside the court was just an intense and heavy fog of tension slowly swallowing everyone on Karasuno's side of the net. They didn't win a single game that week, no matter how close they got to match point. They always lost, leaving them all frustrated and determined. Save for Tobio, who only felt utterly exhausted from constantly playing volleyball while his brain did not properly rest.

The barbecue at the end helped them all drown their worries in meat and hot sauce. Tobio forced himself to eat his fill, rushing so much that he ended up choking on a piece of meat until the Fukurodani setter, Akaashi, gave him a drink to spare his life. The bus ride home was anything but peaceful for him either, sitting separated from Hinata which made the empty ache in his chest return to haunt him while his team-mates slept. It was late when they return to the school, and even later when Tobio finally reached his house, a series of yawned goodbyes from his team followed his retreating figure.

The days started to blur together after that. 'Wake up', lay around his room or go for a walk to avoid his father, always taking a route that went around the Sweet Treat Café, go to practice, avoid Hinata, ignore the fact that he was also avoiding him, go home, and persevere through another sleepless night. He'd been able to avoid his father's wrath, but there was still a dull ache in his chest that lingered from the training camp. It partied with his dying self-worth and general negative emotions, chasing away sleep when it tried to intervene.

Things probably would have continued like that if, surprisingly, his father had not stepped in.

Tobio had just gotten home from practice, coming through the front door while a sore and red hand rubbed at his bleary eyes, so he didn't see his father standing in the living room. When the elder Kageyama's eyes landed on his son, fury filled him and his fists were bunched in Tobio's collar before the setter could take a step back. The high schooler had even less time to register the fact that he was being picked up and slammed against the hallway wall until his breath was ripped from his lungs, head swimming when it connected with the drywall.

"You little fucking shit!" His father screamed, grizzly face so close that his spit mixed with Tobio's sweat residue, and the younger ravenet could smell the reek of alcohol on his father's breath. "How fucking dare you treat my house with such disrespect! Do you know how much a fucking shower head costs?" Fear and confusion had found its way into Tobio's eyes, not that the other could see it through his bloodshot vision that was swimming with toxins. "You think it's fucking funny? After I let you go to that stupid fucking 'training camp'. What an ungrateful-" he pulled Tobio away from the wall and let go long enough to sock the child in the mouth. "-worthless-" another hit to the this time, followed by the older man grabbing him by the throat. "-pathetic excuse for a human being!" He finished, his grip tight as he reopened the front door and threw the high schooler onto the driveway.

Tobio hit the cement hard, landing on his hip but most of his weight being forced onto his shoulder from the momentum and force of the toss. Pain shot up both and he cried out, the sound being cut short by his father tossing the duffel and school bags he dropped when he was attacked back on him.

"Don't fucking come back till the shower head's fixed, you filthy mongrel!" His father screeched before slamming the door, leaving Tobio laying under the porch light. He didn't move for several moments, laying disoriented and nauseous while he struggled to regain control of his breathing. He did an inventory check, finding that his stomach did flips and his skull felt swollen, pressing on his brain almost to the point of giving him a migraine. His head ached from the fall but not badly, though his shoulder was throbbing with his racing heartbeat. He could taste blood on the inside of his mouth from when his father had sucker punched him. He did, however, find that he could stand despite the world swing gently under his feet.

He didn't know what to do. He'd been tossed to the streets for no apparent reason, and his head hurt too much to try and reason with himself. So he picked up his two bags, wincing as he threw them over his uninjured shoulder, and started trekking down the sidewalk. The streets were dark, littered with patches of light from the street lamps. The beams cast shadows over his face, but picked up on the almost blue highlights that threaded themselves through ebony hair. He was nearing the cafe now, having gone there subconsciously. He walked through the door, the little bell hanging above it on the inside giving off its quaint little chime. It beckoned the attention of the barista standing behind the cash register, blonde hair swept to the side with a delicate hand as she looked up.

"Ah, I'm sorry but we're closing in a few-- ToTo?" The ravenet looked up to meet the beautiful hazel eyes of Suzume, her eyebrows raised in surprised. "What are you doing here so late?"

"I was just, uhm... I don't-- know...?" Tobio struggled to reply, hand moving to readjust the straps hanging over him subconsciously.

"Yo~ ToTo, what's up man?" Yoichi called from the end of the room, emerging from the backroom and moving to stand by his coworker. "Out for a late night stroll?"

Tobio averted his gaze and looked up to the left, something he tended to do without realizing it when he lied, "Something like that." The elder ravenet immediately sensed something was wrong, but the signal went right over Suzume's head.

"Well, if you want, you can stay here while we clean up and close shop," the shorter barista replied with a smile that Tobio would almost consider to rival Hinata's

Hinata.

The name sent a cold spike into his chest when it came to mind, making Tobio hesitate to reply, "Sure, thanks." The reply was a cue for the two Baristas to continue working, leaving him to take a seat near the back corner where it was empty and out of the way. Habit had him pulling his phone from his school bag to check the time. Sadly, it also reminded him that he had no new messages from anyone, save for a slur of hateful text from his father, the letters unorganized but the intent clear. He put his phone on the table, screen down, and let out a soft sigh.

He wracked his brain for a solution to the situation, but got nothing, save for enough experience to level up his headache to a migraine. He couldn't message Sugawara or Daichi, knowing that the former would likely be asleep or preparing for bed at the moment, and thinking about asking the Captain for help outside the court seemed a little off. Amongst the pain, a single terrifying idea rose to the surface. He paused, taking a breath and releasing it slowly through his nose. His fingers slipped under his phone, picking it up and opening up his messaging app. He clicked the contact sitting a few threads down, hesitating over the keyboard before securing what little resolve he had left.

\--

Hinata was laying on his bed, haphazardly twisted on top of his blankets with his arms spread out under his pillow. His face was partially covered by the fluffy object, effectively hiding the pout that seemed to take over his face whenever he was alone. His mother and sister were away for the weekend, leaving him to mope about all he wanted once he was home. The silence of his house with the lack of familial presence made him anxious and restless, but he force himself to stay still.

At least until his phone went off, vibrating with a friendly tune from where it had slipped out of his pocket and sunk onto the sheets. He groaned outwardly a little dramatically, rolling over and reaching around blindly for it until he finally had it in his possession. He didn't think much of the text, expecting it to be Izumi or the Coach with another mass text to the team. But when his eyes landed on the icon of Kageyama's sleeping face that he had snuck a picture of on the way to an away practice game months ago, he felt his heart skip a beat and stumble as it fell into the pit of his stomach.

_'STUPID McSCARY August 13th, 2015 at 9:05 PM_

_Hey. Sorry it's late. Our shower is broken so can I use yours?'_

The small ginger blinked at the screen, absently reading the message as he struggled with how to process that the guy he'd been avoiding, and had fought with two weeks prior, had been the first one to break the ice.

By asking Hinata if he could use his shower.

Hinata sighed heavily, finding himself unsurprised and even somewhat relieved that he didn't have to be the one to break the silence first, "Is he serious?" His fingers were quick as they typed out a reply, only thinking after he sent it that perhaps he should have waited a few more moments before doing so.

_H: 'What happened to your shower??'_

He found solace in the fact it didn't take Kageyama twenty minutes to respond, the message coming in a few minutes after his own had been sent.

_K: 'It broke when I tried to use it. Dad got mad.'_

The ginger snorted, surprising himself with the reaction to the others explanation.

_H: 'And you say I'M the clumsy one.'_

He paused as another thought came into his head, typing it out just as quickly.

_H: 'Why don't you ask Sugawara? He lives closer.'_

_K: 'His shower is finicky. And he goes to bed early. I don't want to bother him.'_

Hinata auto-corrected the word 'bother' in the other's text to 'wake', only realizing in the middle of typing his replied that he had done so. It reminded Hinata of what the setter had said back at the training camp that had really tipped him over the edge: "What happens to me doesn't matter because I'm not important." the words left a heavy feeling in Hinata's chest, as if someone had placed a boulder on his sternum. But he didn't want to dwell on the feeling and shook it off as he continued his reply.

_H: 'Alright, I GUESSSSS you can use my shower. Just text me when you get here!"_

He sent his address as well, to ensure that the other wouldn't get lost. He only got back a simple 'okay' from him. He let his phone fall back onto the bed, face scrunching up as the pressure in his chest seemed to swell. He felt his heartbeat pick up the pace when he realized that Kageyama was coming over and how awkward it was going to be when he got here. What was he going to say? They'd hardly even looked in each other's general direction for the past two weeks.

It was easier to say something over text than it was to say it directly to the person you lost the plot with. But even as he lay there in the dark, a very large part of him wanted to fix that.

\--

"Hellooo? Earth to ToTo, come in ToTo, over," Yoichi called, leaning close to Tobio's face and pulling him out of his spaced-out state. "Jeez man, where were you even at, Neverland?"

Tobio felt something akin to his usual scowl wash over his features, "No, I was just - thinking." He huffed, shoving the other's face away gently, getting a victorious smirk out of the taller boy. "What do you want?"

"Wow, is that any way to talk to the guy who just offered you a ride home?" The barista snarked back, holding his hands up in defeat, palms to the sky. " we even let you sit here and kept you company while we closed the shop."

Tobio would have rolled his eyes, but his heart wouldn't be in it, "Thanks but Hinata's actually expecting me over."

Yoichi's eyebrows rose in earnest surprise, "Tonight? But it's so late."

Suzume came to stand beside him once she'd locked the back door, fingers filtering through her bangs, "What's late, ChiChi?"

"He said he's going to ShoSho's tonight," the taller ravenet replied, looking over at his coworker. "Even though it's already this late."

"What?" The blonde squawked, looking to the setter in disbelief. "But doesn't he live over the mountain? And it's already super dark outside!"

Now Tobio had the heart to roll his eyes, "I think I'll be fine, ZuZu."

"Oh no, no, no, and _no!_ " Suzume tutted, turning to Yoichi with _the face._ "ChiChi, you'll drive him, right? Right?"

"Put the eyes away, I was already going to take him."

Suzume double fist-pumped the air with a little cheer before giving both boys a hug, Tobio stifling a flinch when she moved to embrace him.

"You don't actually have to drive me, ChiChi," Tobio said when the small girl disappeared out the door. It wasn't that long of a walk anyways; an hour of mostly uphill climbing wasn't so bad. He could totally do it.

"Indeed I do, ToTo!" The other chirped, looking at him with that grin that made Tobio want to physically rub it off. "Now give me the address so I can put it in my GPS." Tobio just sighed and started following the older boy when he made for the door.

"Fine," was his reply, a little hard around the edge. But when the other had the route ready and he was starting the engine to his bright yellow Nissan X-Terra, Tobio added a somewhat quiet 'Thanks' into his hand as he leaned towards the window. He got a chuckle and a 'No problem, man.'

 

\--

 

Hinata was lounging in the living room, body draped lazily over the couch as he repeatedly checked his phone every few seconds. He'd sent Kageyama a text once he realized how late it was and that the setter was probably walking to his house in the dark. He felt anxiety running through his limbs and pressing on his lungs, finally giving in and pushing himself to his feet to pace around the room. He was worried his idiot setter would somehow manage to get lost, or hit by a car, or fall off the mountain, and now Hinata was freaking out. 

A soft series of knocks on his door echoed through the house, snapping him out of his panicking state as his head whipped towards the sound. He trotted over to the door, pausing before it, hand hovering over the handle in sudden hesitation.

"Hinata?" Came Kageyama's muffled voice through the other side of the door, followed by a softer 'Is this the right house?' a moment later. How had the other even gotten here so fast? It was a thirty minute bike ride to the school for the ginger, who biked every day, let alone all the way to Kageyama's house. 

Hinata hesitated to open the door, his eyebrows awkwardly knit together as the moment to face his team mate had come. He took a quick breath and exhaled slowly, but jumped when the voice from the other side came again.

"Hellooo?" Kageyama called, a little louder than before. "Are you asleep or something?" Hinata heard the other sigh softly, a sound barely audible through the door. A minute of silence passed before another sound came: shoes scuffing on wood and feet padding down his front steps.

Hinata didn't know why he was just standing there, frozen in place. His heart both swelled and sunk into his stomach at the fact that his setter was here, even if it was just to use his shower. He cracked the door open silently, peeking through to watch the other's back as he walked away.

"I knew this would happen," the ravenet grumbled, disappointment covering an underlying layer of sadness that was evident from the way his shoulders sagged and his head hung a bit between them. "Stupid me..."

"Kageyama!" Hinata found himself slamming the door open and shouting the other's name, suddenly desperate to stop him from leaving. The other jumped and turned part-ways around to look at him with a startled expression, eyes wide and cat-like. "D-Don't go!" He shouted, feeling heat rush to his cheeks and praying that the light pouring through the doorway behind him and drenching the setter's figure was enough to hide it. A moment of silence stretched between them before Tobio regained composure and straightened up.

"Don't shout like that," he huffed, avoiding eye contact as he shoved his hands into the front pockets of his pants. "You'll piss off the neighbors."

Hinata's cheeks seemed to deepen in color as they puffed up defensively, "W-Well, I was worried you'd gotten lost since you're dumb and suck with directions!"

"Excuse me?" The setter hissed, fully turning to him now with a glare. "You've got a worse sense of direction than I do. You're always the one who gets us lost!"

"Am not!" The ginger whined back, stomping a foot down.

"Are too!" Tobio retorted, huffing out an irritated breath through his nose. They were both silent for what felt like an eternity, staring each other down before Hinata angrily ruffled his own hair.

"Augh! This isn't getting us anywhere," he cried into the air.

"And whose fault is that, dumbass?" The setter snapped.

"Yours, you jerk!" Was the spiker's reply as he dramatically pointed an accusatory finger at the other boy. "You started it!"

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

"Will you kids shut the fuck up?" Yelled one of Hinata's neighbors, making them both flinch. "Some of us are trying to sleep!" The two high schoolers' cheeks were tinted red, an awkward silence filling the space between them after Tobio grumbled a 'told you so'.

Hinata was the first to break it, one hand coming up to rub the exposed skin of his arm, "Do... you want to come inside?" His voice was much quieter, brown eyes blinking to the side.

Tobio hesitated for only a moment, "Sure, thanks." His legs brought him forward and past the middle blocker, who stepped aside so the ravenet could pass before closing the door behind him. "Pardon the intrusion," he called politely into the house.

"My uh, mom and sister aren't home. They're at my aunt's house until Monday." Hinata felt a wad of awkward apprehension in his stomach now that the setter was actually in his house. "You can take your shoes off, if you'd like," he added, slipping past the taller boy and trotting into the living room. Tobio quickly slipped off his sneakers and followed after him, the ginger leading him into a hallway and then the bathroom. The air smelled like strawberry air freshener. "And this is the bathroom!"

Tobio blinked at the white room after Hinata turned the light on, "Obviously."

Hinata paused for a second before crossing his arms, "Well you can use the shower." He walked inside and pointed to the knobs inside the shower sitting on the wall above the bath head. "Left for hot, right for cold, middle to switch between shower and bath heads."

"That's pretty basic," Tobio commented, more to himself than the spiker.

Hinata glanced down at the bags that Kageyama was still carrying over his shoulder, recognizing them as the same ones he'd had from practice, "Do you have a change of clothes?" Maybe he'd switched out his volleyball clothes for clean ones.

The setter blinked before realizing he only had his bags from school, any clothes in his duffel bag were used and sweaty. He felt heat wash over the back of his neck as he replied, looking away, "No, I uh- forgot to grab some before I left."

That made Hinata snort, "Good job, Kageyama." He got a half-hearted growl in return before he remembered how his setter had gotten here exceptionally early. "Wait, that reminds me! How did you get here so fast?"

Kageyama blinked up to the left before slipping past Hinata and entering the bathroom, "Oh, Yoichi saw me walking by the cafe as they were closing, so he offered me a ride."

"That was nice of him!" Hinata chirped, happy that the other grouchy ravenet could be nice sometimes. "Ah, well, you can borrow one of my shirts after you get out. Don't worry, they're extra big on me so they'll probably fit you just fine!" He assured the setter before disappearing into his room at the end of the hall. He grabbed the biggest shirt he had - a blue tee shirt with a waffle cartoon character on it, slinging it over his shoulder and hoping Kageyama wouldn't mind it. He grabbed a towel from the hall closet on his way by. The bathroom door was closed when he got back, but he figured he had closed it by habit when he walked out so he stepped right in without knocking. 

"Okay! This is the biggest shirt I have," he hummed as he shouldered open the door, "Hope you don't mind the-..." His sentence faded when his eyes landed on the display in front of him, more horrifying than any scary movie he'd ever seen, face quickly falling from cheer to disbelief and panic.

Tobio was frozen in front of him, his face mirroring Hinata's as his arms were held crossed over his chest with the bottom edge of his shirt kneaded around his fingers, exposing most of his torso. The skin was pale and thin, patterned with bruises of all colors like acrylic flowers messily painted on a canvas. But what caught Hinata off guard the most, and made his heart drop right past his stomach and onto the floor like a stone, was every single rib sticking out clear as the sun behind a wisp of cloud; his hip bones jutted out above the waistline of his pants like jagged rocks, and the ginger feared that if they so much as touched something, they would break through the skin.

Tobio yanked the fabric back down to cover himself almost immediately, but it was too late. The damage had been done; Hinata had seen the vile state of his body and he found himself taking multiple steps back before he hit the wall. His limbs were already trembling and the spiker hadn't even said a word yet. He was just standing there, staring at him with a look Tobio never wanted to see on his face, much less be the cause of it.

Seconds felt like eons before Hinata said something, "Kage... you- what happened to you?" His voice was flat and soft, but anger was quickly weaving itself through it as it bubbled in his chest; seeing the state of the other's body had reminded Hinata of the bruise that had sparked their last argument at the training camp two weeks ago. "There's  _more?_ You're  _still_ getting beat up? By who!" His voice continuously raised in volume until he was shouting, taking a step towards the setter who struggled to retreat further against the solid wall, fear swallowing his face. "Who, Kageyama? Tell me!"

"It-" Tobio started

"Tell me the truth!" Hinata screamed, but Tobio could see tears brimming in his eyes through the ones swimming in his own.

"My father!" Tobio screeched, his voice cracking. The other was silent, his face twisted in a mixture of emotions as he struggled to process the two words. The ravenet's shaking legs gave out from under him and he slid to the ground. "My father," he said again, much quieter this time as his terrified expression was locked on his spiker's face.

"Your... father," Hinata repeated slowly in disbelief. "But- you said it was a gang near your house."

"That was a lie," the ravenet replied, his voice joining the quake party.

"Why would you lie about something like that?" Now it was Hinata's turn to get on the floor, legs crumpling beneath him and the hand he put on the bathroom sink doing little to stay his descent. The shirt and towel in his arms falling to the floor beside him. "That... that's crazy."

Tobio's mouth felt dry, and his tongue was thick and swollen as he replied, "Because I knew you had a good home life. I didn't want to taint it with mine."

" 'Taint it'?" The ginger echoed, looking up at him. "My home life would have been fine. But look at you, what happens in yours!" He gestured sharply to the other, "You're literally withering away!  _Right in front of my eyes_!"

"I'm not-" The ravenet tried to intervene, but Hinata was still going.

"Your home life is literally hurting you. Everywhere, all over. You look like you haven't slept in weeks, I could play the xylophone on your rib cage with how prominent it is, and your  _father_ \- who's supposed to be there to support and _protect_ you -is using you as his personal punching bag!" All of the words came tumbling out, voicing all of his worries as the ginger fell from yelling into a panicked rant. "You literally look like you're dying."

"Hinata..." Kageyama said, slowly bringing his knees in as the other continued to shout.

"You're supposed to be strong! You're supposed to stand on the world stage with me! Doesn't that mean anything to you anymore?" His eyes seemed to carve chunks out of Tobio's heart with how hurt they were, "You're not supposed to lose to anyone until  _I_ surpass you!"

"Hinata, please-" 

Hinata shook his head violently, face directed at the ground, "How am I supposed to surpass you in volleyball if you're dead, Kageyama? How!" A choked sob broke through his panicked rant. He looked up to see Kageyama hugging his knees tightly, head tucked between them so his face was hidden. There was a moment of silence before the sound came again, Hinata watching his setter's body convulse with it. "Kage-"

"This is why I didn't want to tell you." Tobio's voice was thick and broken, past the verge of tears. "I knew it would make you angry and hate me. Why did I even bother telling myself it'd be fine?"

Hinata found himself stiff as he moved forward, gently resting a few fingers on Kageyama's shaking form, ignoring the harsh flinch upon contact, "Kageyama, I don't hate you."

"You're not supposed to yell at people who are important to you," Tobio whispered, fingers digging into his arms as he tried to curl into himself tighter. "You're supposed to yell at people you hate. That's how I know my father hates me." 

Hinata pulled his fingers back for a moment, eyes still wide as another strangled sound came from the shaking boy in front of him. He'd done this, he'd been the one to set him off like this. He pulled in his bottom lip to nibble on for a moment, eyes falling to the side in thought. Tentatively, he reached forward, laying his fingers gently on Kageyama's arm again. His finger pads gently traced the skin until he got to the side of his setter's head, slipping them softly between his jaw and shoulder till they found the other's chin. There was no resistance as he lifted the ravenet's face to meet his, finding wetness covering blotchy, red cheeks and tired, tired eyes.

"Kageyama," he said, voice a whisper and his face torn with worry and honesty. "I don't hate you." His thumb brushed away a new tear as it slipped over the edge, his other hand coming up to dry the other side. "I yelled because I'm worried and because I was angry you'd lied to me. It hurt me when I saw you injured and trying to deal with everything on your own. You can as for help." Tobio's face was twisted with disbelief and sadness, but the setter found himself closing his bloodshot eyes and leaning against the ginger's hand. "We're friends, right?"

Tobio could only nod into Hinata's hand, feeling as if he would completely lose what little composure he had left if he tried to respond. He was shell-shocked that Hinata had gone from yelling at him to consoling him with more care than he'd ever experienced. He was a little afraid to believe him. Hinata felt his heart breaking as he wiped away the moisture on the other's face, ever so softly tracing the bags under his setter's eyes.

"Do the coaches and captain know about this? Sugawara, too?" Hinata asked. "About your father... doing this?" He got another nod and sighed softly. so that's why Sugawara had kept Kageyama at his house. They stayed like that for a while, just sitting on the cold, tile floor with Hinata gently petting Kageyama's face even after the tears had stopped, the only sound surrounding them being the soft hum of the bathroom fan.

"Hey," Hinata finally said, watching the other blink his eyes open slowly, looking up at him wearily. "Why don't you shower and stay the night? I mean, it's just," the ginger continued, taking one hand and running his fingertips through Kageyama's bangs in an attempt to brush them aside, watching blue eyes flicker with peace. "It's already so late. I really don't want you walking home in the dark, or... being home."

Tobio looked at him, watched brown eyes dance around as he presented his request, his exhausted brain mesmerized by their hues, "Sure. I... can't go home tonight anyways." Hinata didn't ask why, figuring out the reason pretty quickly this time. Instead, he stood himself up, hands trailing to Kageyama's shoulders and down his arms before his fingers slipped under the larger pair of hands that sent him the tosses he was so fond of.

"I'll make up a bed for you," Hinata said as he helped the taller boy up, picking up the shirt and towel afterwards and putting them on the sink counter for Kageyama. "Take as long as you need, alright?" Tobio nodded once he was on his feet, watching the ginger give him one last look of concern paired with a small squeeze to his hands before he padded out of the bathroom. His heart pined for his touch again as their hands separated.

But he stayed quiet and hugged himself for a moment before he undressed. The shower was almost scalding when he stepped into it, making his skin scream as the cold feeling left by the absence of Hinata's presence was washed away.

 

\--

 

Hinata closed the bathroom door behind him and let a soft and shaky sigh mix into the now still air of his home. Lifting his head, he took a heavy inhale through his nose and sharply blew the air out of his mouth. The vibes from the bathroom were still stuck to him like glitter and the information still unfathomable. How could a parent hurt their child like that? Why couldn't he have noticed what was happening sooner? How was he so blissfully ignorant to something so serious about the setter he trusted so deeply? 

He tiredly ran his hands down his face as he tried to get himself on task. When Kageyama got out of the shower, he was going to be comfortable and safe, Hinata would make sure of it. He made a small smile pull at the corners of his mouth in hopes of lightening the mood for himself. Kageyama was safe and at his house, so he needed to focus on that instead of dwelling on the sour information about why he was there.

"Bluh," He strode to the closet and grabbed some spare blankets and pillows to make up a bed for Kageyama. It wasn't a long project and by the time he'd finished his stomach gave a reminder he should eat; a reminder he was eager to follow. Kageyama could use the food too; he suddenly realized how little he ever saw Kageyama ate whenever they were together, the only exception being at the barbecue after the training camp. But looking back at it now, he realized Kageyama had probably been forcing himself because of how many people were there, a thought that left a foul taste in his mouth. Kageyama really did need to eat.

Bringing a hand up to fluff his bangs, Hinata trotted off to the kitchen to distract himself by preparing a meal for himself and his friend. Maybe he could make an excuse that he made too much and make his setter eat some with him, even if it was only just a little.


	9. The Back-end of the Hurricane

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pancake Batter isn't an antibiotic substitute but Kageyama is going to try to use it like that anyways to buffer the damage of the back end of the storm, also known as late night talks that dredge up scars he'd rather leave forgotten.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember how I said that last chapter that was heavy and sad and angsty was broken in half? You know how the second half of a hurricane after the eye of the storm is the worst? Haha yeah prepare to get WREKT son. :)

Tobio was aching when he finally stepped out of the burning liquid he'd had pummel his back and neck for the past twenty minutes. He tried not to take as long as he would at home, but even still, the only reason he finally left the sanctuary of the shower was because his hip and shoulder were absolutely screaming at him to stop the torture. He let the water drip off his body for a few moments, staring blankly at the wall as he thought about what had happened. He hadn't been able to keep Hinata in the dark, and knowing how the other got when he thought someone needed help, Tobio felt like he'd somehow put the small spiker in danger. He tried to shrug off the feeling as he grabbed the towel from the sink counter and began drying himself off, finding he had to do it one handed with how inflamed and swollen his shoulder was. His hair was a mess with soaked ends sticking up at odd angles. It almost looked like Hinata's, but he couldn't get it to cooperate so he left it as it was.

He managed to pull on his boxers and shorts with one hand, but found the shirt a little more difficult to handle, especially trying to get the arm attached to his injured shoulder through the sleeve. He blinked at the cartoon character smiling brightly at him through the mirror, and found a little smile trying to break through the woe on his face. But when he noticed how the shirt hung on him, even made his five-foot-eleven body look thin and weak, that smile was crushed beneath his foot. At least the sleeves covered the burning red skin of his injured shoulder.

He sighed and quickly turned to throw his dirty clothes back into his bags before picking them up with his good arm and heading for the door. He hung the towel around his shoulders, ignoring how fussed up his hair was but knew he wouldn't be able to tame it with one hand, and took a breath before exiting the bathroom. A sour smell hit his nose, and he slowly followed it around the corner, looking into the living room from the end of the hallway. He wondered what could possibly be making such a foul odor, one hand coming up to instinctively cover his nose and mouth as a light fog seemed to fill the room.

"Hinata, what the hell is that smell?" He called.

"Uh.. N-Nothing!" Came the hesitant reply from the other side of the house.

Tobio lifted a hand to his face and ran it down his features tiredly. He knew something would go wrong. Hinata had told him himself months ago that he was a terrible cook. That 'nothing' was absolutely something horrifying. He closed the distance to the kitchen, crossing through the living room slowly to brace himself for whatever mess he was about to encounter. He was thankful he did, because what he saw was an absolute disaster area.

Hinata just gawked at Kageyama when he entered the room, unable to find the words to explain himself. There was raw pancake batter and crushed eggshells all over the counter, burnt batter still bubbling over the side of the pan and down the stove front like a science fair project gone wrong. Pancake batter was everywhere, including on the ginger's startled face and clothes and in his hair. He groaned and grasped the space between his eyes.

"I don't even want to know," was all he said before his hand dropped and he pointed sharply to the living room. "Out. Go shower. You're covered in sticky debris." He huffed when the other tried to complain, "I'll clean this up and start a proper meal if you're that hungry." A part of him wanted to argue, but Hinata was ready to leave the kitchen.

"There's an egg in the microwave-" He admitted while trudging off to the bathroom to sulk. It was for the other teen so he figured he'd better point it out now. "Just so you know.

"OF course there is," the setter mumbled under his breath, turning to the microwave to see it was empty. No, wait, the inside of the glass window was just heavily splattered from an eggsplosion. He held back a sigh as he watched the other grumble his way through the living room to the bathroom. His shoulder was already complaining about the workload but Tobio ignored it. He'd cleaned worse accidents of his own before, he could totally clean this with one arm before the other got out of the shower.

In fact, when the other boy returned, he'd find the stove top spotless, the counter wiped clean and shiny, and you could again see into the microwave without your view being obstructed by egg splatters. There was even a window cracked and the smell was slowly wafting away. Unfortunately, in order to get the sticky mess off the microwave and stove, he'd had to use both arms, which left him in a great deal of pain.

Tobio was leaning on the wall beside the door, hiding in the blind-spot should the other come out too soon, good hand massaging his shoulder but finding that it wasn't doing much. It was still screaming betrayal at him until he heard the sound of the shower shut off, straightening up and pulling out his phone to make it look like he was busying himself.

"Kageyama, I'm back-" Hinata speedily walked towards the kitchen and jumped forward to slide against the tiled floor, sliding into view with a dab. He skidded to a stop before colliding with the counter and looked around with a dumbfounded expression, eyebrows raised at how clean everything was. "-to help! Wow, you did all this?" Kageyama looked up when the other slid into the room, head following him as he almost crashed into the counter.

"I was just about to text you what you wanted so I could start while you were showering," the ravenet said, sliding the phone back into his pocket. "What do you want to eat?" He nodded over to the abandoned pancake mix box and half-empty carton of eggs, "I'm pretty sure you used up all the pancake mix, but if that's what you really want, I could make some from scratch." He used his good hand to run through his bangs in thought, "I thought I saw flour and sugar in your closet while looking for paper towels." Hinata stared at the empty pancake box and silently pondered on what he'd want to eat. Kageyama seemed up for anything, but he really just wanted his friend to relax, although a part of him was curious to see Kageyama cook and nodded slowly to agree with the fresh pancakes idea.

"Do you want pancakes? I was making them for both of us," The ginger was trying to hint that his setter should eat too, giving him an implied look to help indicate the idea. "Cause we have other stuff too!"

"I'm not hun-" Tobio stopped himself, knowing that the other wouldn't let that excuse go by anymore. His fingers paused in his hair, grabbing a small lock and twisting it rhythmically between his fingerpads in small motions. Tobio sighed, letting his hand drop to slide into his front pocket. His stomach decided it could probably tolerate some pancakes, patting the inside of his gut lightly to let him know. "Actually, yeah, pancakes are fine. Everyone likes pancakes."

"Awesome, and I can help!" Hinata chirped. "That is, if you need me too." Thinking back on the mess, he wasn't sure Kageyama would accept and cleared his throat. "Actually, aha, I'll  just keep you company," Walking over to the counter, he patted the surface with his hands before picking up the box. He wondered what he did wrong when making them, giving the instructions a skim. 

"If you want to get me the ingredients and cookware that I need, that'd be great." Tobio followed the other to the counter, peering over his shoulder to look at the ingredients.

"I bet these would have been good, but since you're like a master chief or whatever I'm kind of excited." He dropped the box back down and grinned eagerly at Kageyama, as if he was waiting for him to work some magic to whip up a meal for them both.

The setter blinked in surprise before looking at Hinata with eyebrows high, " 'Master chef'? That's a little over the top." Still, the comment made a small smile grace his lips for a second, paired with a small chuckle. Both of which were gone after a breath. "It looks like this brand asks for baking soda," he commented, slipping his hand over the ginger's before taking the box from him to peer at it better. The previous position was hurting his shoulder. "How much did you even put in?"

"I got this!" Hinata easily gathered the supplies needed while Kageyama asked about his blunder from earlier. Truthfully, he hadn't paid nearly enough attention in making the pancakes before. "I don't know? I just added how much I thought it said,"

"Well from how much you put in, it was way too much," Tobio commented dully, almost managing to stifle a wince as he accidentally reached for something with his bad arm. He thought for a moment, trying to remember everything needed for scratch pancake mix; it had been a while since he'd made any. 

"I know, the pancake-splosion told me that much," Hinata thought he noticed Kageyama pull back suddenly, but shook it off for now. Blinking up at the other while waiting for instruction on what else they needed. "You need anything else?"

"Eggs and milk, once the mix is made. And let's use baking powder this time instead of soda." The ravenet gave the other a look before he held his chin as he looked up to the right, mumbling to himself. "Probably ginger? Maybe cinnamon. No, that's too fancy. Bananas? No. I could make a whipped cream and do strawberries." His shoulder voiced its complaint with a particularly sharp throb that made his eye wince. "Alright, definitely not."

"Eggs are out!" The other called from the cabinet, having wandered over there while the setter was mumbling to himself. "I'll grab the milk and baking powder." Stepping beside Kageyama, the ginger emptied his arms of the needed items: a bowl, pan, spatula, spoon, etc., followed by the ingredients the other mentioned before: flour and sugar. Sliding over to the fridge he pulled open the door and grabbed the milk, spinning around and kicking the fridge closed. Now he needed to find the baking powder, searching a few cabinets before he happily returned to Kageyama's side. He dramatically placed the items on the counter top with an inappropriately timed sound effect. "Got it!" While on his short quest to find the ingredients, he couldn't help but notice Kageyama was mumbling to himself, offering a chuckle as he looked his setter over. "Do you always mumble to yourself?"

Tobio blinked over when his spiker spoke to him, blue hues meeting brown ones shadowed under his fluffy bangs in the awful kitchen lighting. He huffed and looked over the ingredients once more with an almost pout.

"I don't mumble," he mumbled.

"You say that, buuut-" Hinata gestured to Kageyama just as he spoke up.

"You can pour the dry ingredients and mix them when I check to make sure you've measured them right, alright?" Tobio added a little louder. He pointed a finger in the smaller boy's face, leaning forward a bit despite some complaint from his hip, "With my strict guidance, even _you_  couldn't mess up simple pancakes a second time!"

Hinata was almost offended by the suggestion he couldn't do this without Kageyama, but a flashback to earlier silenced any argument from him, "Okay! Do I follow the box instructions or-" He stared at the box, but tore his eyes away suddenly to glance at Kageyama,. "Do you have your own?" Tobio reached for a few of the measuring cups, grabbing the flour and sugar before the other could get them.

"I've got one in mind," the ravenet responded, already pouring out the flour in the bow after motioning for Hinata to hold it steady. He tended to just eye it, but his accuracy was pretty spot on. "Now add a tablespoon of sugar and a teaspoon of salt to this while / measure out the baking powder this time."

"Okay!" Hinata honestly had no plan besides the one in Kageyama's head and followed the instructions given to him. Before he added anything he got the okay that it was right before mixing the ingredients, hoping to avoid any mistakes. The cooking went pretty easily, even though Tobio was working mostly one-handed. He had Hinata do most of the mixing for him, using the excuse that the other could probably mix faster than he could and it would give him something to do. While cooking, the ginger couldn't help pick up on Kageyama's reluctance to use both arms. What he had shrugged off earlier was starting to become a concern, but wanted to wait before asking about it. When Kageyama needed him to stir, he eagerly agreed. The sooner they got this done the sooner they could eat and relax.

Tobio thought the ginger was wearing too serious of a look, so at one point, the setter wiped a whip of batter on the other's nose just to get him to smile. With all the thoughts going through his head, the batter stunt caught the spiker off guard, and he couldn't help the smile that followed. A small one took over the ravenet's lips with a quiet chuckle at the other's reaction. Thirty minutes later and there was a plate puled high with steaming buttery pancakes just waiting to be devoured, but Kageyama insisted on washing the dishes first. He looked at his phone before tossing the used bowls and pan in the sink, seeing that it was actually nearing midnight now.

"Hey, do you put everything in the dishwasher," he asked, pointing to the stuff in the sink, "or do you hand wash some of the stuff, like this?"

Pouting, Hinata bent forward to rest his chin on the counter, eyes glued to the stack of food beside him, "Yeah, we use the dishwasher. Just not for pans."

"If you drool on the counter, you're the one who has to clean it up," the ravenet huffed before picking up a smaller top pancake and dangled it in front of Hinata's nose, waiting for the other to snap it up. "Here, chew on this while I wash the pan then." Hinata straightened up and graciously snatched the pancake Kageyama waved before him.

When his hand was free once again, Tobio wet the sponge sitting on the sink counter, struggling just a bit to squirt soap onto it one-handed. He huffed and muttered something too himself to low to be heard before he got it, flipping the rough side over and starting to scratch at the spots of dried batter that never got taken off during the cooking process.

"I don't drool," While saying just that, the ginger wiped the corner of his mouth with his shoulder, subconsciously aware that he _had_ drooled a little. It wasn't like Kageyama wasn't guilty of the same thing when they were both really hungry. Pouting to himself, Hinata sunk his teeth into the fluffy pancake. He figured now would be good a time as any to ask about Kageyama's arm, it seemed like he was still struggling. "Hey, is your arm okay?" He leaned against the counter, finishing the pancake quickly.

"My arm is fine." Tobio stifled a flinch when the other asked about his arm, continuing to scrub the pan as nonchalantly as possible. He wasn't lying, his _arm_  was fine, but even now under the shirt his shoulder was throbbing in time with his heartbeat.

"You just seemed like you were having trouble cooking and even now," the spiker continued. tilting his head as he peered at the other. "Did you hurt it?"

"No, I didn't hurt my arm." The ravenet suddenly thought back to the bathroom, when Hinata's hand had been on his cheek and he'd told him he was mad because Tobio had lied to him. His cheek tingled lightly with the memory of the other's skin imprint, his hand slowly coming to a stop on the pan's surface. He didn't want the other to worry like that, didn't want to see that kind of sadness in his eyes again. So maybe he would tell him the truth. "Actually, uhm," he couldn't bring himself to tear his eyes from the pan, focusing on every burn and stain on it he could find. "Remember earlier, when I said my dad, ah, threw me out?"

"Yeah?" How could he forget? He was still pretty worked up about that. A soft huff followed to help push aside the aggressive feelings he had with the other's dad.

"Well what I meant by that," Tobio continued, glancing over at the other before his eyes returned to the sanctuary of the filthy pan before him, parts if it scrubbed clean from the butter. "Was that he _literally_  threw me out, by the collar." It was actually by the throat after he'd been sucker punched and slammed into the wall a few times, but he decided withholding those little facts would make the information easier to take in. But the setter did trust him enough to tell him what happened, even after everything. He went back to scrubbing the pan, more to fill the silence that threatened to swallow them between statements than anything, "I landed on my shoulder and uh, injured it a bit. He threw my bags out after me." The scrubbing intensified, even as the force worked its way into the opposite shoulder, making it throb. "It's not a big deal, it'll be fine later."

"That's awful." The ginger wasn't sure how else to react to this information, absentmindedly replying with the first thing that came to mind. Hinata couldn't even begin to imagine his own parents doing that kind of thing to him or Natsu and furrowed his brow to help mull through all these thoughts. He huffed and slid closer to the other, trying to low-key push the other away from the sink by invading his personal space. "You will be fine because you're going to go ice it, that always helps so leave this to me." Using his head, he gestured towards the fridge so Kageyama could go grab one and relax, determined to get the other to ice his injury and definitely wasn't going to take no for an answer.

Tobio paused in his scrubbing, looking up at the other with surprise, "It's really fine, Hinata." His brow fell into a more awkward furrow, standing up straight again when the other nodded to the freezer. He looked between the icebox and the ginger a few times before sighing heavily and dropping the sponge into the sink with a light plop. He wanted to argue, but he really didn't have the energy to even scowl at the smaller boy.

"Fine," he huffed, shooting the other a half-hearted glare before turning on his heel. "If it'll get you off my back about it." In all reality, he was grateful for the opportunity to ice his shoulder. He didn't know how much longer he could take the pain, let alone tolerate it during practice and pretend like nothing was wrong. He was thankful the injury had happened after practice, but he didn't know if icing it tonight would help it heal before practice tomorrow. A worry he tried not to think abouf as he popped open the fridge and blinked at the mass of different icepacks. "Ah, which one should I take?" He asked over his shoulder.

Hinata was pleased to see Kageyama agree with him, but before he started washing anything he turned to look at his setter. He forgot how many ice packs he had and let his socks slide him over to help. "Well you can use any of 'em, buuut-" Rummaging through a few of them, he found one he had used back when he played baseball and handed to Kageyama. "This one is great for shoulders! It straps on and everything so you don't even have to hold it there."

Tobio held the ice pack in front of him, eyeing it over. It was triangular and filled with non-freezing jelly so it could mold and move with the muscles. After struggling by himself for a minute until the ginger was done washing the pan, he asked Hinata help him strap it on.

"Hey, help me put this thing on," he called into the kitchen, having wandered into the living room and bringing the plate of pancakes with him, setting them on the small table in front of the couch. He noticed that a blanket and pillow had been transformed into a makeshift bed with surprising care, and he felt a little glow heat up in his chest. "Bring two plates," he added after a second. "Or just napkins, if you don't care about eating with your hands."

"Oh, I got it!" After he was done washing the pan he discarded it to the strainer to dry. He was tempted to grab just the napkins, but his mom wouldn't be happy with a mess in the living room so he decided to go with plates, grabbing two of them with napkins to use afterwards. "Lemme see," he said, finally joining Kageyama in the living room. He set the dishes down so he could help with the ice pack. Taking the strap, he wrapped it around Kageyama and velcroed it so the pack was secure. The ravenet stood patiently as the other came trotting in, helping him put on the flexi-pack after setting down the dishes. The blissful chill against inflamed skin and muscle was heavenly, and he let his eyelids droop in pleasure at the immediate relief.

"How's that?" Hinata asked but hardly waited for an answer before plopping down on the couch and helping himself to the stack of pancakes, taking three which he tossed onto his plate for later, a fourth taken to eat now that was happily shoved in his mouth.

"Good. Thanks," he added the gratitude on after a moment before taking a seat next to Hinata and putting two of the smaller pancakes on his plate. He really didn't want to eat, but since he must, he would take the smallest of the bunch. That was why he'd made a shorter stack smaller than the rest The room was filled with sounds of pancakes plopping on freshly emptied plates and delighted noises. Kageyama had forgotten how good pancakes tasted, even if he had made them instead of his grandmother. He told Hinata to bag the rest in a ziplock bag and throw them in the fridge when they'd finished, leaning back against the couch and resting his surprisingly full stomach. The feeling made him a little sick but he bore with it, knowing that digestion would make it fade.

Before long, they'd departed to separate rooms for the night, leaving Tobio alone in the darkness of the living room. He sat on the makeshift bed-couch and stared into the emptiness, watching all the little lights around the room blink in harmony. One for the house phone, one for the smoke detector, one for the wifi router. He laid on his stomach and slid his uninjured arm under his pillow. An odd feeling of longing for his own room snuck its way into his chest, wrapping around his heart and slowly constricting it. He closed his eyes and tried to think of something else; Hinata's face came to mind, looking at Tobio with those sad puppy-dog eyes as his smaller hand thumbed away tears as they ran down the ravenet's flushed and blotchy face. The force around his chest squeezed harder, making it actually difficult to breathe as the new feeling overwhelmed him. He inhaled deeply, filling his lungs in an attempt to break free of the bindings, but the sharp pain in his shoulder that splintered down his back quickly made him lose it, huffing out all of it in a heavy exhale.

Naturally, he couldn't sleep at all. Minutes felt like hours and hours felt like minutes until finally, the ravenet could no longer take the silence and the darkness and his thoughts. He fumbled around for his phone which he'd left on the small table in front of the couch, clicking the home button once he'd found it and wincing as his screen lit up to brightly display the time as being 2:58 AM. He maneuvered his way through the device to Hinata's thread in his messages, pulling it up and typing out a very simple, last-ditch resort to cure his loneliness.

_K: 'You still up?'_

He placed his phone on the cushion beside him and snuggled underneath his blanket, bunching the end over most of his face so his eyes could still see all the periodically blinking lights. He didn't have to wait long for a text back and that both relieved and worried him.

_H: 'Yeah, I am. What's up??'_

He wasn't quick in his typing, merely poking at the keyboard with a single finger after sliding his hand out from under the blanket. He sent it without really thinking, his brain filled with the kind of fuzz that clung to the parts of your brain for proper functioning.

_K: 'Can't sleep. Bad thoughts.'_

He blinked wearily and left the screen lit and the thread open. He needn't fear of falling asleep on accident. Even if he closed his eyes, all he saw were sour memories and terrifying could-be scenarios. He really wished he had more control over his own mind.

His eyes didn't see the darkness before him, his mind swept up in a rough scenario that could have happened, should Hinata have reacted how he thought he'd react when discovering the truth. He started out of it a few seconds later, feeling himself tremble and ironically tried to shake it off. His phone screen had gone to sleep in the time he'd checked out and the little light in the top corner blinked orange periodically, signalling he had a new message.

_H: 'Do you want something to take? Or do you need anything??'_

_K: 'Nothing I take ever helps.'_

He typed the first reply lazily, but sat up and actually took hold of his phone to type with both thumbs now. The blanket haphazardly hung on his uninjured shoulder while the rest bunched itself around him and in his lap. His injured shoulder gave a pang and he thought that maybe he should ice it again, since it had been a few hours since he'd taken it off and returned it to the freezer.

_K: 'I don't know why you're awake but I guess company would be nice?'_

Tobio didn't bother adjusting the blanket around him, letting it slip off his shoulder to bunch lazily around his waist.

"Heya," Dragging the blanket like a cape behind him, Hinata shuffled into the living room to join Kageyama. Luckily, he knew the layout so he wasn't going to smack into anything in the darkness while making his way to the couch. "Company has arrived!" His hands patted the surface of the couch to see where there was room before sitting down beside Kageyama. He was glad to have the company too, adjusting himself so he was sitting Indian style and his hands clasping around his ankles.

The ravenet started at the other's voice, thankful the darkness could hide it so he wouldn't have to. He turned his head to the voice's general direction, able to make out a solid black mass and a blob of tinted orange as it moved around the couch and shuffled around a bit before settling next to him.

"Hey," he replied, reaching up to rub at his eyes with the heel of his hand. "So what's got you up so late? You were practically ready to dive into your bed when you left a few hours ago."

"I don't know, what about you?" Hinata asked, moving the question over to the setter in hopes that he'd be able to find more answers, or pry for some this way. "You seemed just as tired."

Tobio blinked in the other's general direction before he turned his head back to the darkness before him. He was always tired, but that didn't mean his mind would let him sleep.

"Yeah, well," he started, pulling his knees in to rest his chin upon them. "I made an effort and it didn't work. So whatever." He sighed very quietly, almost soundless as he tucked his head in a little further. He didn't want to tell the ginger the truth, but even by just being in the same room as him, sitting next to him, Tobio felt much more at ease and calm. "Just... things that could have happened kept going through my head," the ravenet finally admitted, looking over at the form next to him. "They usually can't be stopped no matter what I do or try to think about, but-" he straightened up a little, his fingers latching on to his other wrist and idly rubbing the skin there. "I don't know. You just being here seems to help. Sorry."

"Why are you sorry? That's not a bad thing," The ginger snorted, mainly because he felt calm in the others company too. It wasn't anything to be ashamed of; Hinata thought it was a pretty nice thing for his setter to say. "But if you want to talk about what's bugging you? I don't mind-" He added the and trailed off, leaving the other room to answer.

Silence fell between them after Hinata's offer, Tobio staring absently into the dark as he mulled over his next words. He wanted to avoid bringing the other any further into his heavy home life, but he knew how Hinata was when it came to protecting his own. He could practically feel the slowly building urge to prey at him coming off the other, barely being held back.

He sighed again, "I know." He thought back to that singular moment under the stars when he had shared a moment with the ginger, and told him that he was scared. He still was; scared of what his father would do to him or to Hinata if he dug in too deep, but Tobio hadn't been lying when he said he felt invincible with the other beside him. "I get that you're worried about me, and you have every right to be." He tucked his head between his knees, leaving enough space for his voice to trail out as he continued. "I'm just afraid that what's happening to me will happen to you if you try to make it your business."

"Nothing is gonna happen to me, c'mon," Hinata almost nudged Kageyama, but restrained himself after remembering the injuries from earlier. Pulling his hand back and plopping it down on his knee with a soft smack. "Talking about it might help." He echoed Kageyama's sigh, "I won't tell anyone either, I promise." A soft hum followed his words and he leaned over to poke Kageyama's leg as softly as he could manage. It was so strange to see the ravenet like this: sitting in such a way, talking how he was. Everything about it felt so wrong and Hinata just wanted to make things better, bring things back to how they used to be and back to Kageyama being healthy and strong. Hinata still thought he was strong, now more then before after seeing what his setter has been going through. Those bruises told a story and not a happy one, especially when they came from an adult who's supposed to protect you.

Surprisingly, the ravenet didn't flinch when he felt the other poke his leg, rather taking a moment to steady his breath before lifting his head to look at the other. His eyes were well accustomed to the darkness and he could see the outline of the other's face, the worry lined in his brow. He uncurled a bit, letting the leg closer to Hinata slip and stretch before him, the hand on that side falling to rest on the couch cushion.

"I don't really doubt you. It's just... a hard thing to talk about?" His voiced piqued in a questioning tone, as if wondering if that was the best way to put it. Tobio sighed before continuing, "It's just, I feel like what's happening to me will rub off on you. Make you sad or stressed or affect you on the court. I don't want to be the cause of both your downfall and my own."

"You won't bring me down!" Hinata replied almost instantly to that one and huffed defensively. He didn't believe Kageyama was some burden he had to bear and he didn't want his setter to think that for even another second. The ginger frowned and let another sigh break the pause between his words, "And I won't let you go down." He thought about how they always worked together for the sport they loved, how they had formed a friendship and exchanged words with a special moment under that stars that he felt he needed to remind Kageyama of. "We're invincible together and we can get through anything, even if it's not on the court." He raised a hand to rub his eyes and flopped it back down in his lap. While he was awake, his eyes were extremely disappointed. "If it's hard to talk about, take your time, I'm not going anywhere."

Tobio gave a huff through his nose - a small laugh - and relished in the thin smile that broke over his face. It wasn't much, but it was what he needed to hear, even though he hadn't known it. He let silence fall between them and decided like the same moment they'd shared under the stars, he was going to do something that scared him. He looked over at the other for a minute, judging the distance between them and finding that they were actually fairly close. If Tobio so much as tried to stretch his arm out to his right, he would find contact with the other boy before he'd even raised his arm halfway.

He took a breath before he allowed himself to fall towards the ginger and let his forehead fall to gently meet the crook of the ginger's neck, shoulders brushing. The warmth that spread over his skin sourced from the contact was so nice and comforting. But he felt something different this time, straining to hold himself up to keep the touch as light as possible.

Hinata's shoulders were tense and he fidgeted with his fingers to keep himself busy. He was surprised by the sudden contact, but it felt so needed. His shoulders slumped and he let himself relax as Kageyama leaned on him. This felt important, like before, Kageyama was letting him be there. Never the less he felt a rush of embarrassment, this wasn't something he was used to. Well, at least not with another guy, Kageyama to be more specific.

"Is... this alright?" Tobio asked hesitantly. He prayed Hinata wouldn't have to use the bathroom again like last time; he just wanted a little bit of contact to comfort him. He would get up without a second thought if the other said anything that might signify he was uncomfortable or weirded out. After all, guys didn't usually do this kind of thing with each other, did they?

The ginger hummed shortly at the question while finding the right words to answer. He let an amused sound, almost like a laugh follow. "You're good."

The setter could feel the other boy relax under his touch, as light as it was, before his reply. It made him feel a little better but apprehension still clawed at his heart. Tobio still hesitated, blinking against the other's skin.

"Sorry. I know this is weird." He started pulling back, just to avoid being weird and grossing the other out, despite his words of encouragement. He could feel heat flecking his cheeks, slowly growing to cover most of his face. Maybe this was something weird to do with another guy. Maybe he'd just stop and never do it again.

The spiker felt a sudden rush of anxiety as Kageyama pulling away, like he was missing a chance. His hands started fidgeting again and he turned to look up at him through the veil of darkness. He wanted to say it was fine, that he didn't think it was weird. Instead he sighed to try and quell the warmth in his cheeks and ears, thumping in his chest. Was that supposed to be weird?

"It wasn't really," He admitted awkwardly, trying to stop himself from shuffling closer to Kageyama. "Hey-" He trailed off a moment and thought about how to let these words enter the rooms already awkward atmosphere. Hinata just felt like he needed to start them off, make this a Q&A to help Kageyama talk about it. "You said he, your dad, threw you out..., But what did he do to you before that?"

The question caught him a bit off guard, but Tobio recovered quickly enough, bringing his leg in to his chest again. He left his hand on the couch, fingers flinching when he felt the other boy's against them, but didn't pull away.

"He just... roughed me up a bit." He already knew that answer wasn't going to fly and sighed, taking a deep breath afterwards and leaning back against the couch, head lolled back to stare at the ceiling. "Well he, I guess... I got home and took about four steps inside and all of a sudden he was there and screaming." He furrowed his brows as he recalled the memory, finding his heartbeat picking up for an entirely different reason now. His fingers subconsciously curled around the ones next to him, not tight but more for grounding than anything. "He was drunk, but what else is new." He took a breath before continuing, fear and anxiety clawing at his lungs and making breathing a little more difficult. He hadn't told anyone about this kind of thing, suddenly finding that his tongue was swelling up and making it hard to talk.

"He picked me up by my collar and slammed me against the wall a few times, I know I hit my head at least once because my vision was swimming," he continued. "He was yelling something about the showerhead and how I broke it even though it was fine last night." He could feel himself starting to shake now, silently cursing his body for it when he was so close to another human being who could probably feel it even if he couldn't see it. He cursed even more when he found it starting to affect his voice. "I got sucker punched and then he threw me out. Told me not to come back till the shower head was fixed, whenever that is."

Now he couldn't stop himself from turning to his side, facing the ginger, and letting himself curl up till he was half hidden against the other's body. It was selfish and weird but he needed the comfort and contact of another human being, even if he got nothing back, he needed it. His fingers squeezed Hinata's a little more as he felt hear flaring up behind his eyes. "It was just shitty and I didn't know what to do so I panicked and messaged you, even though we were fighting. I'm sorry."

When fingers curled around his he wanted to move and hold Kageyama's hand in return, but decided to let his friend seek comfort in holding his instead. Afraid that if he moved it would make Kageyama shy away from the contact. Hinata felt like he shouldn't have been as mortified about this as he was; he'd even tried to prepare himself for the information beforehand, but how was he supposed to be prepared for all that? Hearing about how Kageyama had gotten royally beat by his father left the spiker speechless. That was probably for the best since the setter wasn't finished. His brow furrowed as he listened, body shaking involuntary. When Kageyama curled up against him he knew he couldn't hold off on returning the gesture and instinctively leaned back. Bringing his arms up to hug his friend, hoping to comfort him and feed his own need to make Kageyama feel better.

Hinata didn't want him to be sorry and shook his head, "I don't care about our fight, okay?" He rubbed Kageyama's back, like his mother used to do for him when he was upset, which left a bittersweet feeling. He wondered if Kageyama ever got that and sighed. "...It's not your fault, it's your dumb dad." He wanted to go on, but wasn't sure what to say, or what he could say. Nothing he could come up with would make any of this okay. His hands shook and he felt anger bubble in his chest under the anxiety, unable to understand how this happened, how it's been happening behind his back all this time. He felt his anger turn into regret; he was sad he couldn't do anything to stop this before, or now. "It's okay," but he didn't actually know if it would be.

Tobio remained silent, closing his eyes when he felt his embrace returned and feeling them well up as he pressed his face back into the crook of the other's neck. The hand drawing circles on his back with the palm was a welcome comfort, and left a trail of warm tingles on his back. Hinata's words were a mindless caress to his stress, rubbing away the worries that plagues him. But he was still left with internal distraught of the fight. He didn't care about what his father did to him; he only wanted to make amends with the other boy, as if desperate to make sure that they were still friends.

"It was just..." he trailed off as he recollected his thoughts. "I wanted to tell you, back at the training camp that night on the balcony. I wanted to. But I didn't want you worrying about it while we were supposed to be training." His fingers wove themselves in between Hinata's now, squeezing more as his free hand came up to rub at his eyes as they finally teared up. The words just started pouring out, like one too many sticks had been taken out of the beaver dam and it broke apart, water flooding through and taking the dam with it.

"So when you saw the bruise, I panicked and got mad, which only made you even angrier. And when you stormed out-" he paused as a sob choked him, shoulder's convulsing. "- I thought I'd ruined our friendship. I thought I'd lost my only actual friend. I was so lost and lonely that I didn't know what to do. I couldn't even go after you to apologize and tell you everything like I wanted. I just got angry at myself and wallowed in it."

Now he was crying. He just turned his head to hide his face between the other's shoulder and the back of the couch, unable to keep his voice steady anymore. He was ashamed at the state he'd let himself fall to in the other's presence, and tried to hide against him to keep what little remains of his pride and composure he had left.

Hearing Kageyama speak left guilt heavily stacked on Hinata's conscience. He'd know he was in the wrong from the beginning after what happened at the training camp, but was too stubborn to admit it. Now he had joined the list of people that had hurt Kageyama and he was going to make up for it. The sob that broke the ravenet's words scared him, he never imagined seeing or hearing his setter cry. Not when he was so strong, proud. Memories of the his rash and angry reaction during the fight left Hinata feeling a harsh squeeze of regret in his chest. In his attempts to make his setter realize that the spiker actually just cared, he just made him worry about all this.

"I'm so sorry, Kageyama." Hinata felt tears prick the corners of his eyes, but he tried to blink them away with little success. "I should have said that to you back at the gymnasium after I talked to Yachi." He suddenly found himself crying along with Kageyama, keeping a hold on the other. He felt like he needed to lay down since Kageyama was now leaning on him fully, and flopped down so they could both be more comfortable. He was surprised at how light Kageyama was, but tried to ignore it. "We're still friends, okay?" His words were wavered, but he wanted to say that.

There was no resistance from the ravenet as the ginger pulled them both down to the couch, both of them becoming a sobbing mess of blanket and limbs. Tobio just nodded into the other and grit his teeth to stay the cries that tried to wrack his bruised and battered body. He found solace in Hinata's words, as few as they were, and he choked out a heal-hearted 'it's fine, dumbass' before he hid away the rest of his face, still holding onto the other's hand with his. The ravenet felt relieved that he had apologized and fully reconciled with the spiker, forgetting that they were literally on top of each other.

Even as the ginger stated that they were still friends, he felt like he needed to continue to apologize. He didn't think it was that easy to make up with someone. He needed to keep saying sorry. But he felt like if he did, he'd only upset the ginger more. He heard Hinata's voice waver and he turned his head, reaching up slowly so the tips of his fingers barely brushed the other's cheek. He found the surface wet and hot, and he used the back of his knuckles to gently wipe at the sure-to-be flushed skin.

"Don't. It's okay," he said, hushed and hoarse. His fingers trailing up to brush the fluffy bangs away from Hinata's face. "Please don't cry over me. I'm not worth it. It's okay, I'm sorry."

Hinata was secretly glad for the contact and sighed as his tears were wiped from his face. It was comforting, but he wished his setter wouldn't say he didn't matter like that. He was important, one of the most important things to him right now.

"No. I think you matter," He took his free hand and gently brushed his fingers through Kageyama's bangs. Pushing the setters hair out of his face before softly petting Kageyama's head. "I care about you."

Tobio closed his eyes again at the ginger's touch, finding calloused fingers grazing his scalp softly an immediate comfort. Even as he cried himself out, he found the other's words make a concoction of sadness and happiness bubble up against the noose around his lungs, loosening it's hold so he could breath easily again. The words uttered to him were like a spring breeze as fingers woven through his hair were enough to make his tears well up again, but this time from a lighter feeling.

He didn't need to say anything, simply nodding again and burying his face into the hollow of the other's shoulder and neck. A small sniffle escaped him as he thumbed away another tear before his hand dropped to the other's chest, fingers gently closing against the fabric. He felt embarrassed and relieved, even though the way he was acting was ridiculously out of character from the intimidating volleyball-loving grump persona he usually held up, but he didn't care. He just wanted the ball of warmth in his chest from the other's honest words, and the hand in his hair, to keep away the sour feelings and foul thoughts a little longer.

He relished in the silence and the comfort of each other as their legs were tangled together and bound by blankets, finding peace in the darkness for the first time in months.After a few moments, they both settled down and he could feel the gentle pulse of the other's heart, his thumb subconsciously doing slow laps across the skin of Hinata's hand in time with the almost soundless ticking of the clock on the wall.

Hinata eventually ran out of tears and took a moment to enjoy the embrace he and Kageyama shared. His friend seemed to have relaxed as well and he couldn't help enjoy the tranquil feeling that took over the room. He was used to cuddling, but this felt different. This was nothing like when he and his sister snuggle up after a nightmare or during a movie. Incomparable to when he was younger and would share a bed with friends. It wasn't bad, but it made him feel a new sensation he hadn't felt since finding volleyball. Like a warm, overwhelming sensation in his chest that made his heart flutter. He felt his hand rest still on Kageyama's head after a while and his eyes were begging to be closed. Head throwing behind them as he let his eyelids slid shut, he hadn't realized how tired he was.

Tobio had long since fallen asleep before the other finally stuttered in his rhythmic petting, letting the pounding of his head and burning of his eyes fade to black when his eyes closed. His breathing settled into sleep that matched that of the body below him, the corners of his eyes red and irritated above cheeks stained with the residue of tears. He passed into a state of unconsciousness with more ease than he had in months, finding comfort in the warmth below him seeping into his chest, in the tangle of limbs and blankets and how his spiker returned the thumb strokes on his hand. 


	10. American Anime

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hinata does his best to take care of Kageyama after finding out about his father, including getting the setter hooked on one of his favorite "American Animes" and maybe something else.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a recovery chapter. It's all soft and fluff and funny and gay and lovely so there are no worries here. Enjoy the domestic stuff so sweet it'll rot your teeth.
> 
> We may be getting into the more domestic-y things and with domestics comes interpersonal relationships changes. One relationship in particular, finally.

Sunlight crept into the room like a slow molasses, snaking its way through the blinds of the two windows as fingers card through hair. The light was enough to pull the small ginger from the comfort of sleep, and he groaned before trying to roll over to a more shaded position. A light weight kept him pinned and he forced his eyes open, blinking to adjust to the surprising brightness of the room and to clear away the fog that covered his vision. He blinked a few extra times when he looked down to make sure his eyes weren't playing any tricks on him, or to see if he was still dreaming. They weren't and he wasn't. Kageyama was still snugly sprawled on top of him, face relaxed and breathing soft against the fabric of Hinata's shirt as he slept, their hands still intertwined from their jam session much earlier in the morning.

His first thought was that this should feel strange - cuddling another guy, let alone Kageyama of all people. But instead, he only felt peaceful and warm. A soft and breathy laugh escaped him, disturbing a few of the hairs still sticking out from his setter's usually neat head, and he continued where he left off the night before. Thin fingers ever so softly picking at the stuck up hairs and weaving through them in arcs, hoping to keep the other comfortable and asleep just a little longer. He needed it, he deserved to sleep. Hinata's eyes slid shut to enjoy this moment as long as it was willing to last, knowing sleep would not return to him and taking solace in how well it was holding onto his friend. 

Sleep was heavy on the setter's mind and kept him drowning in darkness for what felt like an eternity yet passed in the blink of an eye. Something soft and comforting was brushing over his dark and choppy bangs rhythmically, and he was comfortable and warm in the blankets that were tangled around his body. He shifted just so, feeling a painful ache in his shoulder and something holding down the hand beneath him with nimble weights. His free hand was settled near his face, half curled towards him and half splayed out in the thing below him that was emanating heat. The ravenet felt hot fabric that was more cloth than blanket and he ever so gently kneaded it a couple times, nuzzling back into the solace of wherever he was. Hinata paused in his movements to let the other adjust before continuing. Tobio had no idea where he was but wherever it was, he was going to let ignorance be bliss and keep him prisoner there forever. A soft noise escaped him - almost muffled under the blanket half-draped over his face - as whatever was stroking his head brushed a little too close to his temple, leaving a trail of warm tingles in its wake.

Hinata opened his eyes at the sound, turning a lazy but questioning look to the boy on top of him. The sound caught him off guard and made his heart skip a beat, being one of a happy and content nature than the usual snapping or growling the other did while awake. He'd never done this before - cuddled with Kageyama, or really anyone besides his sister - so all of this was a new experience for him. He felt his face tingle with a light wave of heat as he blinked at the ravenet, fingers still trailing lazily over his hair.

Tobio was slow to come to consciousness, like pulling a cart through thick mud after a rainstorm. His awareness slowly rose to the surface and took notice of little things to expand his knowledge of the waking world around him. He could hear birds softly twittering outside. The clock that sat in the kitchen could barely be heard ticking, audible in the peaceful silence. How stiff and numb his stolen hand was pressed between his body and the warm thing below him. There was a soft scent of strawberries and something intangibly tantalizing coming from beneath him, the smell refreshed every time the comforting thing carded through his bangs. He nuzzled into the scent a bit more, letting the moment last just a few more moments before he slowly blinked open a bleary eye. All he could see was folds of fabric and the bright light that was slowly taking over the room. He squinted his eyes closed and groaned softly, his free hand reaching up to his face to rub over his eyes tiredly.

Hinata laughed softly at the other's groan, letting his hand fall to the side of the ravenet's face and pausing there for a moment before it flopped to the side of the couch, dangling partways off the edge. His arm was thankful for the break.

" 'Morning sleeping beauty." Hinata stretched underneath the other's thin frame and sighed happily after his back popped with numerous blissful releases of tension, snuggling back into the couch and offering his friend a smile. Tobio bit back a sound at the trail of tingles that was left over his face by the other boy's hand, blinking his eyes back open to give him a soft glare while the ginger shifted under him.

"Fuck off, dummas," his voice was hoarse and his words involuntarily slurred as he gave his eyes a harder rub to fully waken him. "Damn, what time evenz it? I feel like I just woke up from the dead." Tobio remembered that he'd asked Hinata to keep him company last night, with a slew of other less than savory memories being thrown at him as well. It was all kind of a blur, but maybe that was because he'd been crying through most of it. How embarrassing.

"Uhh," Hinata had to process the question before looking towards the window to see how bright it was outside. "I don't know." He looked around for his phone before remembering it was probably still in his pocket, finding it there when he stuffed his hand between them to reach it. No wonder he kept feeling something jabbing into his thigh when he moved his leg the wrong way. Tobio merely grumbled a 'that's not very helpful' under his breath while the other fumbled for his device. He made no attempt to move or get off the other, still wrapped in the kind of comfortable warmth only waking up will give you. He flipped his phone around to hold it properly and woke up the screen to check, gazing momentarily at his many notifications before seeing the time.

"Oh wow, it's like noon!"

The ravenet yawned when the other gave him the time, mouth stretching wide and hand moving to cover it, "Wow, that's actually pretty la-" He cut off, jaw abruptly closing the rest of the way as he pushed himself up enough to look at the other in the face with a jerk. His eyes were wide and his brows furrowed, and he ignored the flare of pain from his shoulder. His hair was squished flat on one side where he'd lain against the other and sticking up at all ends from when Hinata had continuously run his hand through it, but his hair was the least of his worries right now. "Wait, did you say noon? Didn't we have practice at 11?"

"Practice? Yeah, we do-" Hinata furrowed his brow in bewilderment at Kageyama before brown eyes widened, fully processing what the other boy meant. It was suddenly painfully obvious to both of them that they were late for practice and the ginger squirmed underneath his friend while trying to get up. "We're so late!" His expression twisted into one of panic and, after successfully wiggling out from under his setter, he stumbled down to the floor with a 'thud.' Usually he'd set an alarm for early practices, but since it was so late in the day he hadn't even thought about it. It wasn't normal for him to sleep so late, but thinking back to their sleepless, emotional night, it did make sense. Not that justifying himself made him feel any less guilty for leaving the team waiting.

The setter practically fell off the couch with his spiker, almost knocking his teeth against the small table when he found himself impossibly tangled in the blankets after the other escaped. Thankfully, he still had good enough reflexes to curve himself to miss it and landed on the carpet floor instead. He shimmied his way out of the fabrics and stood up, pausing to press a hand to his shoulder when it yowled at him, though it was a little less painful today. He whipped his head around, turning himself this way and that looking for his phone. He had to message one of the upperclassmen or the coach and apologize and tell them they'd be there as soon as possible. He finally found the blasted device inside the web of blankets, stealthily tucked away in the one Hinata had brought out with him where it had presumably slithered into after they'd...

He quickly unlocked his phone, not even seeing the multitude of notifications on the broad screen before he rushed to open his texting app. It wasn't until he saw a notification above the Coach's name did his thumb hesitate to click on it, blue eyes blinking in confusion before he opened it.

_'COACH UKAI August 14th, 2015 at 9:32 AM_

_Hey all, I've got some emergency business to attend to, so practice is canceled for today and the next two days. Practice on your own if you want, but don't overwork yourselves.'_

Tobio read and reread the message, wondering how perfectly timed it had come in. He could hear Hinata running around still getting ready, and if the other boy should come back into the living room, he would find a dazed Kageyama still standing there blinking at his phone as if it held the answers to the universe.

"Kageyama, do we need breakfast, Lunch? Brunch!?" Hinata rushed to join his teammate in the living room, throwing the strap of his hastily packed duffel bag over his shoulder. Honey brown alight with haste blinked at Kageyama, perplexed and frustrated to see he was standing there in a trance. "Hello? It's a thirty minute bike ride and I still need to attach my pegs, what are you doing?"

Tobio merely turned to blink at the boy, "I was going to text Sugawara or the Coach, but there's a message saying there's no practice." He looked back at the phone, still a little dazed. "For like, the next three days."

"No practice?" Hinata's voice was laced with obvious confusion. He trotted over and peeked at the phone screen suspiciously. He pouted, brow knitting together while staring at the phone. Guess practice really was cancelled, but three days sure felt like a long time. A sigh, followed by the slumping of his shoulders helped calm his earlier panic. The strap from his bag fell down his arm and he dropped the whole thing to the couch carelessly. The spiker followed suit and let himself sit down on the cushions with a flop.

"Yup." Another moment passed before the ravenet finally snapped out of his trance, turning to look at the ginger with confusion and twisted brows, "Wait, were you serious about the pegs? There's no way I would have ridden on that bike with you." He huffed through his nose, lips scrunching into a pout, "I've seen how you ride that thing! I've watched you wipe out three times in a week. And anyways, adding more weight to the bike would slow you done. Then you would be even later!"

"Hey, rude! I'm not that bad of a rider!" Shooting his setter a concerned face, Hinata cocked an eyebrow at the other. He always carried friends who didn't have bikes on his pegs, it wasn't that weird. "You do realize you literally slept on me last night? I could actually promise you'd be adding no weight, like, at all." Tobio felt himself bristle at the other's comment, crossing his arms almost defensively, as if the skinny twigs would cover how much the other's shirt draped over him like curtain fabric.

The ravenet huffed out his nose - a hard snort of the aggressive sort, "Gee, yeah, thanks for reminding me!" He locked his phone and attempted to slip it into his pockets before he remembered he was wearing just his boxers. He huffed again and curled the device into his fingers. "Why don't you tell me how you really feel," he grumbled sarcastically.

Hinata wrinkled his nose at his friend's defensive stance; he was just stating the truth and he didn't plan on stopping there. His eyes fell to the phone and he watched as Kageyama tried to put it in his nonexistent pocket, smile stretching across his face. Maybe it was because the ravenet had just woken up and had his brain kick-started with panic, but knowing that even a serious and grumpy guy like Kageyama could pull moves like that gave Hinata that feeling of getting even.

"I feel like you need to eat more." The ginger jabbed an accusing finger in Kageyama's direction. Not to be mean, but the guy probably weighed as much as his ten-year-old sister - or worse, even less.

Tobio could not believe he was actually having this conversation with his spiker right now. He felt a little invaded, like the other was probing into him with just words. It made him feel gross, more with himself than Hinata.

"Who are you, my mom?" The ravenet spat. He knew he was acting childish, but it was a sort of reaction that came out without his meaning to. Even though the situation was entirely different and the other was speaking his worries softly rather than screaming out blame that wasn't his, he felt a knot in his stomach pull itself tighter.

"Apparently!" Hinata drawled when he answered the rhetorical question, still bitter about how his friend's parents were apparently treating him. He sighed, slapping his hands on his knees before lifting himself up. His hands moved to rest at his sides and he puffed his cheeks at the other boy. It wasn't that he was mad, or upset with Kageyama, he just wanted the other boy to be okay. "Especially if she doesn't even care enough to make sure her own son eats, like, ever?"

Tobio took an instinctive step back but held his defensive posture, "Well, I don't need a mom to take care of me, dumbass! I'm still alive, so it shouldn't matter." He hissed out the words, but they slowly faded to something soft and unsure. The way he said 'it' was a little different, as if he were implying his own well-being behind it. His hands reached up subconsciously and crossed in front of him, loosely hugging his own arms as his shoulders bunched up a bit. He ignored the pain in his injured shoulder, blue eyes darting to the side and holding there as he continued speaking softly. "I mean, it's not like you're wrong. She doesn't actually care." He gave his arms a few rubs, phone still clung in one hand and sticking to his still-warm skin as he suddenly felt all too cold. He pointedly refused to look at the other, suddenly feeling exposed despite the incredibly baggy shirt he had on. "Can we not talk about this right now?"

Hinata studied his setter carefully. He wasn't the best at noting hidden cues, but the almost reclusive posture and soft tone in the other's voice were huge red flags, even to him. So after another moment of staring, he threw his hands to his hips and sighed, "Okay, but you're gunna have to tell me later." He turned on his heel before the other boy could respond, throwing his arm into the air excitedly. "Now that we have time to ourselves, why don't we make some breakfast!" Another thought occurred to him, and he looked back at Kageyama, already halfway to the kitchen. "Ah, Kageyama."

Tobio was baffled by how quickly the other let the situation go, even if he knew the spiker was serious about bringing the topic up later. He watched him circle around the couch and almost double back, pausing a few feet past the back of the couch. "What?"

"You should ice your shoulder again today," he kept going into the kitchen, intending to retrieve the ice pack from the freezer after Kageyama had taken it off before going to bed. "It'll definitely help, especially since we don't have practice until Tuesday!"

"I said it's fine, dumbass!" He called after him, taking a few steps around the couch before giving a sharp huff in defeat. He sat back down on the couch, throwing his head back to count grains in the ceiling when he heard another clatter in the kitchen, followed by the distinct sound of something hard going 'poof'. "What was that?" He called.

"Nothing! I swear!"

"If I come in there and there's a mess, I'm not tossing to you for a week."

A moment of silence.

"Okay, so  _maaayybe_ I dropped the flour on the floor when I tried to get it. But it's your fault for putting it back so high up!" 

Tobio allowed himself a groan, closing his eyes and not moving from his spot. He was incredibly comfortable, if he pretended the light throbbing in his shoulder wasn't there. There was some shuffling to his right and something cold hitting his arm that sent a shiver over him. He opened his eyes to see a very apologetic Hinata distinctly avoiding eye contact, his face and shirt covered in white powder, holding out the jelly pack to him. Another moment of silence before Tobio snorts and pushes himself forward, "Shit, just help me get it on." The ginger mumble something unintelligible and the ravenet uses his good hand to pull on his hair a bit before stalking off towards the kitchen after the smaller boy had helped him put the ice-pack on. Not too much of the flour had escaped, only sending a poof into the air - and Hinata's front - when it landed on the floor. So Tobio just had Hinata pick it up and put it back on the counter before sweeping the small pile that had jumped onto the floor into the trash.

He really didn't feel like making food, his stomach not even bothering to nag at him, leaving him with that underlying pit of emptiness underneath his diaphragm. Still, once the flour was properly on the counter and far away from the edge where it could not be accidentally knocked over, Tobio turned to his friend with a questioning look, a little hesitation fringing his features.

"So, what did you want for breakfast - or should I say lunch?" He inquired, leaning back against the counter to try and regain a more relaxed posture from his earlier defensive stance.

The ginger jumped to attention, "Well, those pancakes were really good last night..."

The ravenet snorted, "If you only eat pancakes, you're gunna get fat."

"Says the guy who, like, only eats muffins!" Hinata countered, holding an accusatory finger near his face.

"Muffins are actually good for you, ya know!" 

"You can't survive on muffins, Kageyama! You need veggies and meat." The smaller boy gave him a pout, pulling in one side of his mouth as his brows furrowed. Shit that was cute, Tobio thought before immediately backtracking. He absolutely was not going to go down that road right now.

"You're one to talk. You don't eat your vegetables either!" The setter retorted before running his good hand through his bangs and leaving it there for a moment, "Augh! This isn't getting us anywhere!"

"And who's fault is that, Bakageyama?"

Tobio just gave the boy a glare through his fingers that sent him skittering back a few feet, arms up in defensive fists, before he sigh and flicked his bangs to the side, not that they stayed there. "How about like, a grilled cheese or something?" He flicked his eyes over the counter, wandering until he got the the miscellaneous basket where a pre-opened loaf of bread sat poised on top of various other items. "Bread and cheese is easy. It's bad to eat heavy when you first wake up, anyways."

Hinata perked up, face brightening as he smiled, "Oh man, I  _love_ grilled cheese!"

The setter blinked at him for a moment before giving another soft laugh through his nose, "Are you sure your height is the only thing that hasn't changed from middle school?"

That had the ginger bristling again, whining about how cruel he was and how Kageyama was just jealous because he wasn't weighed down by a horrible personality like a certain setter. Hinata was quick to avoid Tobio's vicious grip, dodging multiple attempts at grabbing his head while snickering at the setter's snapping. The ravenet finally huffed sharply and clicked his tongue, turning to the fridge and jerking it open to look for the butter.

"Get me a flat-iron pan and a spatula before you fuck off, idiot!" He hissed, grabbing the stick of butter from the door. "No snacking for you till they're done, now!" He ignored the loud whine from his spiker as he turned back to look for the cheese, finding a packet of pre-cut cheddar slices in the second drawer down. He saw a couple tomatoes in the drawer above, and turned to call over his shoulder, "Hey, do you like tomatoes in your grilled cheese?" He partially stood to look behind him, finding a crinkled nose and tongue sticking out at him, accompanied with an obligatory 'blegh' sound effect. Tobio didn't snort this time, finding the sight a little endearing and hastily closed the drawer and fridge door when he felt heat scratching at the tips of his ears. He found the pan and spatula next to the stove, and was surprised the other had even grabbed the loaf of bread and opened it without the setter having to ask him to. Tobio shooed the other boy away, but only managed in getting him to take a few steps back as his look melted into curiosity and awe.

"Can you make them by yourself?" Hinata asked, concern underlying his interested pucker of lips. "You struggled a lot with the pancakes last night."

The ravenet resisted the urge to snap something defensive, instead grabbing a butter-knife from where he remembered the silverware drawer was. "Grilled cheese are ridiculously easy to make. Even easier than pancakes and require no stirring." He sent the other boy a stiff glare, "Now, out! I don't need you hovering over my good _or_ bad shoulder while I make these!"

"But what if you need help or something?" He was expecting a sharp retort, but all Tobio got was a poutier face, if possible, and chocolate eyes shifting to the side as the other's voice dropped a few volumes. "I won't eat anything."

Tobio was silent for a moment, studying him before relenting with a sigh and tossed him a slice of cheese, making sure it smacked the ginger directly in the face. He felt a familiar satisfaction at the startled 'geh!'. "Fine. Nibble on that while I prep. But don't stand too close. You almost burned yourself last night."

"I barry tuffed da stove!" Came the muffled reply, no doubt from a mouth full of clunky cheese Hinata had shoved into his mouth all at once.

"Yeah, and you almost burned yourself and then we'd  _both_ be injured!" He snapped back, "Burns take longer to heal than muscles! And you're a spiker; your hands are incredibly precious! Take better care of them!"

Hinata felt himself color a bit at any part of him being called precious, even by Bad-Mood McSnarly, Kageyama, of all people. He swallowed what was in his mouth in a hard gulp, "W-Well, I didn't! So it's fine." He rolled his eyes and threw his hands to his hips.

Tobio gave him a light cuff on the head, mumbling 'idiot' as he turned back to the stove and clicked it on. He sliced a small wad of butter out and dropped it in the pan, waiting until it started shifting on its own before he started rubbing it around. Hinata was watching with curious eyes, alight and wide, and Tobio would have sworn that they were warmer than the stove could ever get. He had to nudge the ginger back a few times, eventually snapping halfway through the third sandwich being made for him to go find something else to do since he was clearly fine on his own. Hinata only grumbled and stalked off towards the kitchen, and if Kageyama heard him say something along the lines of 'stupid Bakageyama-kun with his dumb face and cute bedhead...' then he made no comment of it. Whether it was because he was trying not to hunch his shoulders against the heat pounding against the back of his neck that traveled to his face, turning it scarlet, or he truly didn't hear him, only gods and ghosts would know.

 

\--

 

Kageyama made a total of six sandwiches, using up almost the entire loaf of bread, half a stick of butter, and about a third of the package of cheese. But that was because he knew how much Hinata could inhale for 'breakfast'. He wasn't taking any chances. He grabbed two plastic plates from the cabinet where he remembered seeing them last, napkins, and the plate of grilled cheeses. Blue eyes blinked curiously as he returned to the living room, carrying the heavy plate with his good arm and the much lighter empty plates and napkins with his bad arm. Hinata had something up on the TV, purple and very... cartoon-y was the only way to describe it. It certainly didn't look like Anime, or maybe there was a sub-genre he didn't know about. Hinata turned around to look at him from where he was sitting on the floor, spacing out on his phone, when he put the heavier plate on the table. His eyes went from varnished brown to crystallized honey in seconds, absolutely lighting up over handfuls of cheeks that were pushed up by the massive grin he spread on his face.

"Hey, I don't think your mom would appreciate getting the carpet wet," Tobio commented as he tried to rub the heat off the back of his neck, circling the table to sit between the ginger and the couch. "So whatever you're doing is gunna have to stop."

Hinata bristled and snapped back at him, "H-Hey! I wasn't even doing anything! They just looked really good and I haven't had a grilled cheese in forever so of course I'm excited when I see how many you made! I thought you were just making one for each of us." He ended the rant with a grumpy pout, side-eyeing the ravenent who shrugged and tossed him a plate.

"I made one for me, but I know how you inhale food, so the other five are for you." He was still enjoying the lingering flush over the other boy's cheeks but cocked a brow at the 'disappointed mom' look the ginger was currently giving him. "What? I'm eating, that's what you wanted right?" He grumbled before picking up the top-most sandwich and dropping it onto his plate. Hinata stared for another minute and sighed before grabbing flopping a sandwich on his plate and picking up another one with one had, remote in the other.

He turned to his setter before hitting any buttons, "Do you like cartoons?"

Kageyama wrinkled his nose a bit as he looked to his right in thought, "Not particularly? I don't really like Anime either. There's never anything good, it's all guns and explosions and blood nowadays." He bit into his sandwich - yup, they tasted as they should, just like his grandmother taught him.

He missed her.

Hinata blinked and turned back to the TV, "Well! I found an American cartoon that's really good, and they even have it in Japanese dub!" He hit play and what Tobio could only guess was the Opening Theme started playing. It was very short, but catchy and he nibbled on the end of his sandwich as he watched. He had a confused brow arched almost the entire time.

"Why is he so upset over ice cream?" He inquired quietly, becoming more disgruntled as the episode went on. "What does ice cream have to do with magic powers? Who the fuck thinks their magic powers come from eating ice cream?"

"Kageyamaaaaa," Hinata whined, shoving at him playfully, thanking whatever gods that were up there that the ravenet's good side was to him. "It gets better, just enjoy it and relax!" 

Tobio grunted at the elbow before shoving back, "Fine, but take this ice pack off when it's done, I think I'm getting frostbite." He wouldn't add that the laugh Hinata gave him made any chill in his skin melt away. He shivered anyways.

The ginger did indeed take the ice pack off once the episode was over. Thankfully it was only a ten minute episode. He was starting to shiver a little at that point, trying not to despite the fact he was still in nothing but boxers and Hinata's over-sized shirt that even he was swimming in. The ginger blinked when he noticed and reached around behind them to grab the blankets off the floor next to the couch. He maneuvered himself in front of his setter and shooed him back so his back was against the furniture, wrapping the blanket around him before crawling into the ravenet's lap.

Tobio was so surprised that he hardly put up a fight, blinking down owl-y at the boy beneath him before he finally managed a "What the fuck are you doing?"

Hinata twisted his head to blink back at his setter, "Well you're cold, and I'm always really warm, and blankets insulate heat, so I just... thought..." He looked away when he realized how this could be awkward, "I mean, you literally slept on me last night, I didn't think it would actually be a problem. I'll get off," he ended, moving to get off of the other before he found an arm wrapped around his waist, oddly strong despite its lack of girth.

"No, it's fine," he heard the voice behind him say, tugging a bit to get the other to settle back down. "You just- surprised me, is all. I mean, I knew you were clingy, but I didn't know you'd be all over me once you found out it was okay."

Hinata grumbled to himself as he slid back into Kageyama's lap before his head popped up again, nearly colliding with the ravenet's chin, "Wait, is this actually okay?"

"I mean?" Tobio's brows screwed together, "I always assumed cuddling with guys was weird and would feel weird but with you, it's fine. It's actually pretty nice. So, yes?"

They were silent, both staring at each other for a moment before they broke eye contact at the same time. Heat scratched at Tobio's ears and neck, and blistered across Hinata's lightly freckled cheeks. 

"L-Let me start the next episode!" Hinata chirped, reaching for the remote. 

More silence filled only by the opening theme again. If they didn't skip it starting next episode, Tobio was going to start humming it whenever he did  _anything._

"Fry bits?" Tobio mused to himself, feeling Hinata chuckle beneath him. 

"Yeah, you know, the crunchy, super broiled pieces of fries at the bottom of the strainer?" Hinata hummed, "Apparently they're really good."

"And really bad for you," was Tobio's reply. "Who's the skinny one again? She's like a mix of Tsukishima and Ennoshita."

Hinata wrinkled his nose when he snorted, "Wow, that was pretty accurate. Her name's Pearl."

"I like her hair," Tobio said, moving to rest his chin on the other's head since he had nothing to lean it back on. "It's like yours but pink and... I guess straighter? The curls around the face are accurate though."

Hinata smiled, "Yeah, I like her hair too. I like all of their hairstyles, especially garnet's. It's so... _square_."

This time it was Tobio's turn to snort and he actually felt his shoulders relaxing. His injured shoulder didn't hurt so much anymore, so he wrapped both arms around the boy in front of him experimentally. The reach didn't hurt and he actually noticed Hinata scooch back into his embrace and snuggle against his chest. The touch made something hot explode behind his sternum but he tried his best to ignore it as the episode continued on. 

"So, is this one of those shows where the main kid like, learns all the magic mumbo jumbo from the experienced magic people and eventually starts teaching them stuff?" Tobio asked after the second episode, unfolding his legs with compliance from Hinata and half stretching them forward. "Because they all kind of seem like assholes in their own way right now."

"Oh my gosh, Kageyama," Hinata laughed and turned to look at him again. "Just _watch the show_ _!_ It will answer your questions, I promise, it's a really good one." 

Tobio rolled his eyes, "I can't help it, I'm  _curious._ "

They sat in silence for a while again, Hinata very comfortable in his setter's arms, and trying to ignore how he could feel every rib of the other against his back as he reached for another sandwich.

"That seems reasonable," Tobio said at the same time as the mailman on the screen, causing Hinata to choke on his bite before he proceeded to lose his shit. Tobio gave him a few gentle thumps on the back with a surprised look on his face, "Dude, what the hell, what just happened?"

"Oh my god, it just caught me off guard, and it was perfect timing!" Hinata wiped a tear from his eye after he managed to safely swallow the chunk of sandwich he had in his mouth. Tobio scowled at him, but there was no bite behind it as he used his thumb to wipe the drool from Hinata's chin and wiped it off on the hip of his shirt.

"Hey, look," the ravenet said, nodding to the TV, "He makes the same stupid sound effects you do! No wonder you like this show."

He grinned as his spiker turned around to give him a couple of playful slaps to the thigh. "Shut up, Kageyama, you make sound effects too!"

"I never said I  _didn't_ like the show," The setter added with a roll of his eyes, huffing a breath at him. the ginger squinted his face and backed away a few inches, stalling his smacks.

Hinata gave the other a hard glare, or what was considered hard for Hinata, before he shot his face back into Tobio's, "Oh yeah? Well maybe if you gave-" He blinked, "Wait did you say you liked it?"

"Oh my god, do you even listen when I talk to you or does it all just fly around in that empty head of yours like dust before being scattered to the wind?"

_"Kageyama!"_

Now Tobio was laughing again, grabbing tight hold of Hinata and pushing him back when the ginger reached for a couch cushion to smack him with. They tussled for a few moments before the blankets coiled around them both and they collapsed atop each other. Hinata stared down into Kageyama's flushed and smiling face, both of them laughing. Hinata was the first to stop, dropping to a couple of huffed chuckles as he watched Kageyama continue to laugh, a warm and natural smile stretching his usually scowling face wide. Hinata's eyes widened as he noticed a dimple in the ravenet's cheek, and he could see the light of the TV reflected in the unshed laughter tears clinging to the corners of his eyes. His black hair was still ridiculously fussed up on one side, shining blue from the flashing images of the screen. 

Hinata thought he looked unnaturally attractive, just now, just like this. He felt heat explode in his throat and he felt giddy, laughter taking him again as he lost his hold on himself, arms collapsing in. He flopped onto the other's chest, noses bumping and faces mashing together. They both made awkward squawking noises, and rushed to fumble back, but only managed in tangling themselves further into coils of the cotton.

By the time they had managed to wriggle free of the accursed fabric, they were both red faced and panting, whether that was from the wrestling and then trying to disentangle themselves, or from what had accidentally happened in the midst of that, neither could be sure. The fourth episode was already playing automatically, halfway through and the purple girl chasing the main kid who was holding some pancake monstrosity.

"Did we-" Hinata started but was cut off by a bristling and very-embarrassed Kageyama.

"No! No, nope, nuh-uh, that did  _not_ just happen," he huffed, raising a hand to touch his fingertips to his lips before looking back up at the ginger with worried eyes. "Did it?"

Hinata gave him a very serious look paired with a sharp thumbs up, "We totally kissed." There was a pillow hitting him in the face in less than a second.

 

\--

 

"Kageyama." 

No answer.

"Kageyama~"

Still nothing.

" _Kageyama!_ "

" **What!"**

Hinata flinched back, huffing in annoyance, "You've been ignoring me and pouting over there for  _ten episodes_!" He glared at the ravenent that had moved to the complete other side of the table after their tussle, who in turn shot him a much more fearsome glare back. "Oh my god, Kageyama, it was an accident! It happens,  _geez_."

"Well I don't know if you noticed, but our  _mouths touched,_ Hinata." Kageyama turn halfway to him now, one hand bracing him against the floor.

"Actually, it was more like they were smashed together when I fell on you-"

" _That's even worse!_ " 

Hinata sighed and flopped backwards, falling silent. He was done arguing with the other. Maybe it was just him, but the 'kiss' hadn't been bad. If you factored out the way their noses had bent together and lips twisted and teeth clinked... Okay, it had been pretty bad, but not in... a bad way? He threw his hands to his face and groaned into them. That didn't make any sense.

"What are you groaning about over there?" Kageyama snapped. 

"None of your business," Hinata mumbled into his hands. There was something solid smacking him in the face, and he yelped, thankful his hands had been shielding him.

"Just because you're deaf, doesn't mean everyone else is!" The ravenet huffed, already gripping another pillow for vaulting. "You were totally thinking about it!"

Hinata thrust himself up, "Well yeah, but I didn't think it was bad!"

" _I think you chipped my tooth_."

"I didn't mean bad like that!"

Kageyama paused in his throw of the pillow, holding it over his head as his expression hesitated in its scowl. He narrowed his eyes, and Hinata took a little solace in the face the setter's voice was quieter, "What do you mean?"

"I mean," the ginger started, peeking out from defensively crossed arms, "it wasn't bad. Like. You. You weren't bad."

"...You are making no sense here."

Hinata still waited for the cushion to be lowered a little more before he lowered his arms. "I-I really don't know how to explain it? It's like, yeah, the actual quote-unquote 'kiss' was bad, but like... the fact that is was  _you_ that I kissed... wasn't... bad." he was fully prepared for another pillow to the face, but when it never came, he took a hesitant moment before looking up at the other.

He found his setter's face flushing red and getting darker by the second, even covering his ears. Blue eyes that had been dark and stormy just minutes ago were  wide and unsure, brow furrowed but not angrily.

"What are you saying?"

"Wow, am I really the stupid one in this friendship?" He mumbled to himself, and he saw the ravenet's face start to pinch together again. He turned to him, his own face puffed and annoyed and embarrassed all at the same time, his stomach doing flips and his heart hammering so hard it felt like it was about to rocket out of his chest and sucker punch Kageyama in the face. "I  _liked_ it, Kageyama."

No answer.

"Kageyama."

It was as if the other had turned to stone and could no longer operate on this plane of existence.

"...Kageyama?"

"I-" The other finally managed to sputter, "You liked kissing me?"

There we go. He finally got that through his head.

"Yes," Hinata answered, scraping his nails against the carpet as he tried not to turn away from the other. "I did. It was a bad kiss, but it wasn't a bad thing. Does that make sense?"

Another moment of silence, Amethyst was yelling something in the background while Pearl scolded her. 

"You _liked_ ," Tobio repeated, over-emphasizing his words. " _kissing_ me?"

Or maybe he didn't. Hinata groaned and slapped a hand to his face. " _YES_! Holy crap, Kageyama, I liked kissing you, okay? God,  _why_ are we talking about this still?" Now he was the one sulking, sliding his hand down his face and pulling his knees into him as he turned back to the TV. "Forget it, okay? You obviously didn't like it so just forget it."

The noise of the show filled the air for another few moments before the setter spoke again, "I never said I didn't like it... that way."

Hinata side-eyed him warily, still pouting into his knees, but from what he could tell, Kageyama was serious. Even though his eyes kept dashing between the screen and him, flashing as the reflection of light changed with the movement. 

"I mean it," the ravenet insisted, "I didn't hate it."

Steven cheered on the screen.

Hinata snorted, and then lost his composure and started cackling, which had Kageyama's eyebrows shooting up in surprised. "Oh my god, why are we so awkward at this?"

"What even is 'this'?" Tobio asked, blinking at the area around them. 

"I don't know, but I'm gunna assume it's some poorly-dialogued confession in one of Suga's bad american soap operas." The ginger leaned back on his hands and sighed, "Man, why does he even like those?"

Tobio shrugged and rested his arms in his lap, legs folded and crossed in front of him indian-style, "I wish I knew. Maybe then we could figure out how to get through this correctly."

They broke out laughing again after a minute and Hinata slithered over to the other and flopped down next to him, leaning on his hand as he went back to watching the cartoon. Tobio looked down at him, blinking curiously and suddenly feeling nervous at the close proximity. He tentatively reached down, his hand hesitating over the mess of fiery locks before he softly thread his fingers into it. He heard a soft hum beneath him and took that as a good sign. Maybe now he could return the favor for helping him fall asleep last night. He threaded his fingers through Hinata's wild hair, trying to remember what the other did for him.

It was like, whenever the other got near to him, his heart beat picked up and he felt hot and sweaty and anxious like he was at the end of a match and they were about to win. But something was missing; he couldn't get that match point. It was like the match with Aoba Johsai all over again, where they were caught in a deuce that kept soaring higher and higher, as if it were endless.

He wanted it to stop. He wanted that game point to end the match.

"I like you," Tobio said before he could stop himself, his voice soft and sincere. He felt Hinata stiffen beneath him, but knew it was too late to turn back. "Like, as more than a team mate. Or a friend. As... whatever's above that."

It was a moment before the other turned to peek up at him, eyebrows high and pupils blown wide. "Like, as a best friend?"

Tobio blinked, giving the other a soft brush of the hand, "Higher."

If Hinata's eyebrows could rise higher into his hairline, they did. "As a boyfriend."

Tobio paused, and then nodded.

Hinata flipped over onto his back and Tobio could see his freckle-splattered cheeks light up with a deep pinkish hue over the smile he was bearing.

"I like you, too," he said, smile brighter than the sun on the perfect summer day and words warmer than a thick, cotton blanket fresh out of the dryer. "As a boyfriend."

Tobio felt his heart stop as he let out a choked laugh, leaning down to touch his forehead with the ginger's. Hinata reached up and sweetly laid his arms around Kageyama's neck, pulling him down further so that their lips brushed again, hardly for more than a breath before their laughter and smiles broke it apart. 


	11. Hell Hath No Fury Like A Woman Scorned

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kageyama's mother is finally brought into the picture and it is not a pretty one. Thankfully Hinata's good at editing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think this is a good note to end this fic on. I'll continue it in a second part later, maybe. 
> 
> Hope you all enjoyed it!

His father he could handle. The pain that blossomed over his body, marked by grotesque watercolor flowers and stained with physical trauma, were common place by this point. They were often paired with the drunken ramblings shouted into his face, and spit that felt like slime sailing on breath that reeked of alcohol and rage to coat his fearful face. Tobio had become accustomed to it. It was normal for him and an unhealthy stability he found himself clinging to. But out of both his parents, he found his father to be the more reasonable of the two. At least with him, the ravenet knew what to expect, what to say to get him to leave the quickest, to go easiest on him. But his mother was often locked in her room or stoically occupying herself in the kitchen, barely registering Tobio’s greeting or farewell whenever he got the chance to leave the house normally. But every once in a while, she would snap. And while she never laid a hand on her son, Tobio found that she hit him heavier than his father could ever hope to. His relationship with her was far from stable, even in an unhealthy way.

He was subjected to a reminder of this fact a few weeks after the weekend he and his spiker had spent together watching Steven Universe, when Hinata was walking him home after another encounter with his father had left Tobio without a place to stay for the night before. His friend’s mother and sister had been home, but hadn’t really bothered him after the initial meeting, and Tobio admitted to Hinata later that he hadn’t had a positive experience with a mom like that in quite a few years. Thankfully he hadn’t received any facial injuries so she and her daughter remained unaware of his situation. Hinata seemed sad for a minute, but before the setter could ask what was wrong, the other threw him a brazen smile and started rustling around for Studio Ghibli DVDs they could watch.

The redhead walked him home, keeping the ravenet close to his left. Worry was set deep in his brow, which was usually relaxed above beaming eyes, and the trip was silent and heavy with what they both knew could possibly transpire in Tobio’s home. He didn’t like the silence or the lack of animation from the usually excited teenager beside him. He noticed his spiker's lips were pinched shut, moving slightly as he teethed the inside of them with an absent mind. Tobio thought it was kind of cute, and despite the dense atmosphere between them, he felt a little flare of heat swath the back of his neck and ears.

When they were a block or so from his house, Tobio turned to say farewell to Hinata, only to stop with his mouth open when he saw the hard, hesitating look on his spiker’s face. His own brow creased in response, the core of his eyebrows kneading upwards as he thought he’d done something wrong. Hinata looked up at him after a moment and shook his head, only holding out his arm to make grabby motions with his hands, like a baby who didn’t know how to say what he wanted yet. But Tobio knew, so he bent down just a little and gave the other a small hug, light but reassuring. He felt Hinata’s slightly smaller hands grip the back of his jacket as he pushed his face into the setter’s shoulder, but he pulled away just as quickly. He waved the ginger off, watching him trek back up the street for a minute before he turned around himself and finished walking the remaining distance to he then-unknown doom.

The house was quiet when he entered, and he felt himself relax just a little when he saw there was no car in the driveway, which meant his father was not at home at the moment. He could hear water splashing in the kitchen as he silently closed the front door behind him, the light filtering out the doorway that sat past the living room telling him his mother was out of her room. He thought about just disappearing to his room before she noticed him, and decided he would drop his bags off and maybe change out the dirty clothes that were in there from practice the day before, and at least say hello. He hadn't seen his mother in quite a while; she was almost always in her room or gone when Tobio left for practice or the cafe. He knew how she could get, but still, she was his mother, and something in his chest always tugged at him to at least try and keep what minimal bits of their previous relationship he had left. Even if he hated doing it.

Tobio slipped into his room with practiced stealth, shrugging his duffel bag off his long-healed shoulder onto his bed and tugging the zipper open. He tugged out his dirty laundry and tossed it into his hamper with ease, moving to his drawer to pull out fresh garments for practice the next day. Socks were always important, a couple clean shirts, since they tended to sweat a lot with the lingering heat. He threw one of his several workout sweaters in there just in case, knowing the nights were chilly when they got out. He also carefully tucked in the one he had accidentally shrunk the first time he had tried to do his own laundry, knowing Hinata more often than not forgot to bring one and would typically be shivering violently by the time they had raced to the gate to fetch his bike. He rearranged a few of his volleyball items to make room for the extra clothes and zippered the bag, the whole ordeal taking less than a few minutes.

He made sure his footsteps were heard as he made his way to the kitchen, wrapping one hand around the doorway as he slid mostly into view. His mother was still washing from the ridiculous pile of dirty dishes his father always left in the sink. If she heard him, she gave no sign that she did, carrying on in silent. He watched her for a moment before speaking up, "Hey, Mom."

"What do you want?" Was the sharp reply that he got, despite the fact his mother never paused in her task or even looked at him.

He hesitated for only a moment, trying to sound normal, "How was your day?"

"Why do you want to know?" She growled, eyebrows digging into the skin above her eyes. "Why are you always up my ass?" Tobio noticed her start to get more aggressive with her scrubbing and how she moved dishes around, reflexively tightening his grip on the doorway as he stood there. It wasn't too late to back out with an apology and disappear back to his room. But before he could slither away, she threw another dish into the strainer and kept talking. "You wanna know what kind of day it was? It was a really fucking shitty day, let me tell you boy." Another dish thrown unceremoniously in the strainer and the setter could feel the blood draining from his face.

Now she turned her face part of the way to him, the blue of her eyes steely and her voice cold, "While you were gone hiding from your lush of a father, he decided to lay his hands on me since you weren't on hand. Do you know how awful that was? How could you make your poor mother go through that ordeal?" She threw her sponge in the sink, decidedly choosing to finish the dishes later and grabbing a hand towel to dry her pruning fingers. "He hit me, Tobio! He should have been hitting you but you weren't here! Now I'm covered in bruises because you left me to this torture."

"I didn't-" He tried to defend himself before a thought crossed his mind, but his mother cut him off with a shrill word and made what little blood was still circulating through him stop.

"Enough!" She slapped the towel on the counter, shoulders raised as her hands balled at her side. "Don't talk back to me, you wretch! I'm going to end up getting killed by that psychopath if I don't kill myself first and you just try to defend yourself! You act like you don't even care!"

He jolted at the noise and took an instinctive step back, hand releasing the doorway to join the other in a defensive position, "No, Mom, I do!"

"Liar!" She screeched, slapping her hand on the counter. The sound echoed through Tobio's head as he felt not fear, but guilt rip at his insides. "You should be here to take these beatings, not me! I gave birth to you, and raised you. I feed you and make sure you have clothes, and keep a roof over your head when your little high and mighty self feels like using it." She paused enough to pull up her shirt and sure enough, there were a few small bruises decorating her stomach. Little red bits and splotches that barely numbered half a dozen. "Do you see this? You owe me! You owe me your life!"

She picked up a glass from the pile still in the sink in her mounting rage and threw it at him. He had just enough time to dash to the side before it hit the wall behind where he was just standing and shatter into a million pieces. He felt a sting on his face as a shard flew past him, cutting a neat little slice under his eye. The sound rang through his body as he dashed to his room, his mother still screaming obscenities at him from the kitchen.

He couldn't feel himself moving as he rushed into his room, the blood that had frozen in his veins was suddenly super-heated and roaring in his ears as he grabbed his duffel bag. The broken glass in the hall wasn't going to stop her from coming after him for long, but that thought wasn't even on Tobio's mind as he stumbled trying to get back out the front door, hearing it slam closed behind him.

He ran without seeing even as the wind pushed his overgrown bangs away from his face. He could feel his body screaming at him to let up, and only listened when he almost ran into someone in his haste, carrying on without even an apology. He started paying attention to where he was after running what he felt was a marathon but had only been a few blocks. He looked up as he slowed to a jog, finally coming to rest against a telephone pole and wiping the new sweat that beaded up on his skin. And there he saw it, that little fluff of tangled orange hair atop the head of the retreating figure still walking back home. He wasn't even walking that slowly. Had so little time passed?

Tobio didn't know because he was running again, closing the distance to Hinata with heavy steps. The sound of his feet thundering against the dirt road made the other turn around, and his face lit up in surprise when he spotted his setter coming back to him. He hardly had time to call out Tobio's name before the setter was crashing into him and they both tumbled into the dirt, the ravenet's arms wrapped around the ginger's smaller body so tightly that if he wasn't busy burying his face into Hinata's chest and failing at staying the shaking that took over his body, he would have cared if anyone saw them like that. But he was busy holding onto the last of his composure as Hinata struggled to grasp the situation at hand with broken sentences.

“Kag… Kageyama! Hey!” Hinata sputtered, unsure of what to do with his hands when the taller boy had clung himself to him, ultimately deciding to rest them on Kageyama’s shaking shoulders. “What are- I- Why’re you- What happened?” He finally settled on the last question, managing to get the two words out coherently enough upon seeing his setter’s body tremble against his. He didn’t even care if his elbows were bruised from when he landed in the dirt, or the shopkeeper that gave them a disgusted huff and slammed his door closed. Because as dense and ignorant as he could be sometimes, Hinata knew something had to have happened in the fifteen-ish minutes since he’d started his trek home.

Tobio took a few moments to gather himself back together, finally finding his voice in a slew of muttered curses as he tried to get up, “Shit, shit, fuck, sorry, I’m-“ He tried to let go and push himself up, finding the task difficult with his arms shaking so badly. Hinata helped him prop himself up, and it was clear by the lingering fear and panic on Tobio’s face that something had indeed happened. Hinata noticed he still had his duffel bag, so maybe the ravenet had left before really entering the house. The thought of something going on quite literally the second his friend had gotten home made him feel queasy, but not as queasy as seeing a little streak of red trailing down his friend’s face.

“You’re hurt…” He commented quietly, tentatively reaching to the spot but Kageyama beat him to it, fingers rushing to touch his face and wincing at the sting when he did. “What happened?” Hinata asked again, hands on either of Kageyama’s arms. His voice was firm but gentle, looking at the other with a mix of worry and impatience, though he gave his setter time to find his voice. Tobio took a chance and glanced up at the other, feeling a little better when he saw those honey-brown eyes. He didn’t like the concern in them, or at least, he didn’t like being the cause of it, but there was a little warmth in the hollow of his throat at the thought that Hinata cared enough about him to worry.

“Just… yelling.” He was still shaking, and he hated how it affected his voice. He turned his eyes away from his spiker, staring at a scuff in the dirt he had probably made in his rush to catch the ginger. “My mom was yelling at me.”

“Yelling at you?” The ginger inquired. He hadn’t even noticed his thumbs were rubbing circles into Kageyama’s shoulders.

“Yeah, she was yelling. Telling me how my dad beat her instead of me because he kicked me out. How it’s my fault she got hurt! How it’s my fault if she kills herself-“ He couldn’t stop his voice from choking out, fingers ripping into the dirt as he balled his fists beside him. “I tried to defend myself but she snapped, and she was screaming at me and she said I owe her everything and how I’m a wretch who doesn’t love her and she threw a glass at me, Hinata!” He could feel his adrenaline settling down, and with its fall came the rise of tears that suddenly swelled and pressed against the surface. Tobio scrunched his eyes closed to keep them behind his lids, but he felt a few peek out at the corners anyway, desperate to free themselves and tell of his weakness to the world.

Hinata just gaped while the other spoke, but recovered enough to start hushing the ravenet softly. He removed one hand from the other’s shoulder and gently ran it through his setter’s hair, moving down to wipe his tears when he noticed them before they could fall. “Well you’re not there now. You’re here. You’re okay.” The ginger hummed, comforting Kageyama until he was breathing somewhat normally again, and his shaking had almost stopped. Hinata’s legs were cold and tingly from sitting so still in an awkward position for so long, but eventually he forced himself to stand, and helped a much calmer Kageyama do the same before brushing off the dirt on both of them.

“Come back to my place.” He offered the ravenet a reassuring smile, light and sweet under the concerned wrinkle between his eyes. “It’s okay, my mom won’t mind. I’ll cover for you.”

 

\--

 

Hinata’s version of ‘covering for him’ turned out to be that stupid ginger screaming about how Kageyama got sick on the way home so Hinata was going to keep him another night because wanted to make sure he wasn’t going to die. If Tobio hadn’t felt like he was actually under threat of death just under an hour ago, he absolutely would have glared at the ginger. But when Natsu came bounding down the hall and jumped into his arm, repeating “Yama’s back! Yama’s back!” in her squeaky, sing-song voice, he could only manage a weak glare at his friend who was practically beaming at him. The little bundle had changed into her pajamas since they’d left over an two hours ago, and he found himself smiling at the little cartoon banana pattern that decorated the pink fabric.

Hinata threw his hands to his hips and pouted at her, talking in that big-brother voice that Kageyama only had the few rare chances to hear him use, “Naaatsu! He’s _sick_! You can’t jump on sick people like that. What if you get his stomach bug?” His little sister wrinkled her nose at him but didn’t let go until Kageyama spoke up.

“Ah, Natsu, I’m not feeling so great,” the ravenet said, trying to force his voice to sound gravely. “I don’t want you to get what I got, so I’ll play with you another time, okay?” Natsu still seemed reluctant, but after a moment of pouting, she reached up and patted his cheek before squirming her way back to the floor, padding her way into the kitchen where there mother had wandered into after making sure Kageyama was alright. Tobio felt his cheeks heat up a little and this time didn’t care about that stupid grin his spiker had smeared over his face. A soft hand grabbed onto his wrist and the setter looked over to see Hinata’s smile soften into something sweeter with a little bit of concern still lying underneath it.

“Alright, Mr. I’m-no-good-with-kids,” the ginger said, rolling his eyes as he tugged on the ravenet’s wrist as he started backing towards his room. “I’ve got a Ghibli marathon with your name on it.” Tobio merely huffed, but walked compliantly behind his spiker as they disappeared into his room.

“We had a Ghibli marathon last night,” he commented, not trying to brush the other’s hand off until he sat himself down on the ginger’s bed. Hinata grumbled something under his breath. “What?”

“I said we can just watch Disney, then!” Hinata threw over his shoulder, still rummaging in the cabinet under his TV.

"I didn't say I didn't want to watch it!" Tobio felt the knot in his chest loosen as the smaller boy playfully threw Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, and Hercules at him, catching all with ease. It took them no time at all to settle on the bed together, blanket thrown over their laps and Hinata singing along to the Hercules soundtrack. He totally butchered Belle's song, but got Kageyama to join in on 'I won't say I'm in love', though he made him sing Meg's part while Hinata did all of the Muses'. Tobio always liked it when Hinata sung to Disney movies; they were just those songs that really anyone could sing and sound decent at, but the setter liked it more because Hinata was actually a surprisingly good singer. He hated his own voice, but Hinata still begged and prodded and whined at him when he didn't sing with him in the love duets until Kageyama finally rolled his eyes and relented. His small spiker threw his arms into the air just as the song ended, laughing as he lost his balance and collapsed into Tobio's lap, who was also laughing and smiling and red from the excited singing.

The ginger stared at him, smile falling to a more curious look as Kageyama struggled to regain his composure. He wondered why his setter hadn't pushed him off yet, but found he didn't really mind as he blinked up at the ravenet who was still watching the movie. There was a smile lingering on Kageyama's tired face, a little color still staining his cheeks.

Before he realized what he was doing, he was reaching up and genlty sliding his fingertips onto the pale cheek of his friend. Kageyama flinched lightly but didn't move away, even surprising Hinata by leaning into it a bit. He could see clearly how the light shaded the sharp curve of the other boy's jaw, and how, with the many meals his mother provided for them and with Hinata's encouragement, the hollow of his cheeks was filling it. His thumb gave a few idle strokes as his eyes lingered on the other's lips, noticing how nice the ravenent looked when he smiled like that.

"What are you talking about?" Tobio sputtered, cheeks relighting as he looked back down at Hinata with surprise, alerting Hinata to the fact that he'd said that last part out loud.

"Well you do!" Hinata puffed his cheeks as his thumb stopped drawing circles over the other's jawline. "Much nicer than your normal look that you wear like you're gunna pee in someone's cereal." The smile and embarrassment were both gone in a flash as his setter made a grab for his head, which Hinata skillfully avoided. But Kageyama did not relent, and it was less than a minute before they were tumbling onto the floor in a tangle of limbs and yelling and blankets.

Tobio finally managed to pin down the ginger, both heaving breaths as merciless look stretched over his face, "Hah, pinned ya!" Hinata scrunched his eyes shut and turned his face to the side, mumbling prayers to whatever gods controled the afterlife because he was positive he was about to die. He was startled out of his fourth consecutive prayer when he heard a very odd sound coming from above him, and peeked his eye open to see Kageyama trying to hold back a smile and failing miserably before he broke out into a laugh. A good, hearty laugh that rang like chimes and made Hinata's eyes fly open when he felt his heart stop.

"Oh man, were you seriously just praying to the gods? I fucking can't-" Tobio choked out, sitting back on the ginger's legs as the back of his hand went to cover his mouth.

Hinata felt his heart beat suddenly start and pick back up again, pushing himself up with cheeks he would deny being hotter than the sun and pointing to the other dramatically, "W-Well you looked like you were gunna kill me! You even had your scary murder face on like when I miss a perfect toss!"

"Duuumbass," the ravenet drawled, rolling his eyes once he caught his breath, leaning forwards so he had his hands on the floor on either side of the ginger's waist. Hinata simply pouted and grumbled something under his breath, which made Kageyama tangle his hand in his fluffy, orange head again and they get into another wrestling fight, with Kageyama pinning him again. "Hah, pinned ya again!"

"Bwuah!!" Hinata threw his hands up and squirmed underneath the other boy, who easily let up even though Hinata didn't move to rise. "Whatever! We've missed, like, half the movie, now I have to rewind."

Tobio huffed, "Why? We've already watched it at least eight times. You can quote almost every line by now." Hinata just stuck his tongue out and squirmed out from under the other, who made no effort to stop him. He grabbed the remote which had miraculously stayed on the bed somehow and hit the rewind button. He saw his setter reach over and grab a pillow before he flopped onto the floor, still somewhat panting as he rolled to his side and tucked the fluffy object under his arm and shoulder to prop himself up. Hinata hit play and without really thinking, flopped back against the other's stomach. Kageyama grunted but didn't move, and the ginger found himself untangling part of the blankets to lay them properly over his legs. Kageyama adjusted so he was mostly on his back with the pillow stuffed under him so he could still see the TV, allowing Hinata to lay comfortably against his stomach. The ravenet was still self-conscious about his body, but he had long since realized that Hinata didn't mind and that it wouldn't stop him from laying against the setter despite any complaints or attempts to remove him.

When the quieter parts of the movie came, Hinata found he could feel the other's pulse where his ear met the other boy's stomach, hear his heartbeat echoing through his body steadily. It was warm, and Hinata found himself paying less attention to the movie for some reason, his eyes drifting between it and Kageyama. He found the setter was starting to doze off towards the middle of Aladdin, or at least blinking tiredly and resting his eyes during the quieter scenes. He stole glances at him during these parts, watching the way his thin eyebrows relaxed and the way his eyes scrunched up momentarily with the quiet snorts at simple jokes they'd both heard a dozen times and still found funny. It gives Hinata this funny, fluttery feeling in his stomach and he finally forces himself to look at the TV and allow himself to get absorbed in the last fifteen minutes.

He was crying by the end of Beauty and the Beast, grossly sobbing with soaked cheeks flushed with blotches of red as the Beast transforms and is saved from death. Kageyama sits up and reaches for the box of tissues they'd both learned to keep close at hand when watching anything Hinata picks out. He's offering the spiker a few to blow his nose in, still hiccuping as Kageyama goes to dry his tears with another in hand.

"Damn, why are you such a messy crier?" Tobio mumbles softly, using his free hand to hold his spiker's chin, thumb brushing soothingly as he worked. "It's not like you don't know what's gunna happen." The smaller boy half-heartedly swats his hand away before aggressively rubbing at his eyes with his sleeve. He's pouting at the ravenet when he puts his arm down, the skin around his eyes red and irritated. But whatever retort he was going to say dies in his throat when he sees the sweet look on his setter's face: soft and sweet, brow relaxed and smile fond. It was the way he saw him look at the ball sometimes, on rare chances, usually after a rough night before. Even after all the abuse he went through, he still had volleyball, and with the look he was giving Hinata right now, he was thinking the same thing about him.

Something broke inside his chest and tears came gushing up again, but this time he didn't know why. Tobio merely grabbed another tissue and started wiping at his tears again. Hinata couldn't tell if he was actually reaching forward, or if he just wanted to, but when he felt fabric underneath his finger he gripped it tightly and yanked it towards him. He heard Kageyama start to say something before Hinata smushed his face into his shoulder, gripping the fabric there so hard his knuckles were white. His eyes scrunched closed and he tried to hold himself back from crying, but when he felt Kageyama's arms surround him and press him further into his body, Hinata couldn't hold them back.

Tobio chalked the outburst up to being over-dramatic about the movie, knowing just how much Hinata could go overboard with his reactions. But he soothed his friend through it nonetheless, eventually falling to his back because his muscles were straining at the awkward position and taking Hinata down with him. He gently threaded steady fingers through the other boy's wild mess of hair and felt calmer with his small weight atop him, the soft scent of strawberries and Hinata wafting around him when he nuzzled his face into the other's head. Hinata calmed down fairly quickly once they were lying down, and slid himself off the other just enough so he wasn't directly on top of him.

"Sorry," the spiker mumbled into the other's jacket, loosening his grip and flexing his stiff fingers. "Don't know what came over me."

Tobio gave a small laugh and continued to card his hand through the other's messy hair, "It's fine, stupid. I've seen you cry before." The situation felt familiar, like the night Hinata had found out about his father being the one who abused him and he'd ended up spilling a lot of information he'd rather have left unsaid. In the end, they'd ended up sobbing and apologizing together, before passing out with their fingers woven together. He could feel his face and ears heat up at the memory and was thankful that Hinata couldn't see him from where he had his face buried in the hollow of Tobio's shoulder.

"That doesn't make me feel better!" Hinata whined, hiding his face into Kageyama's shirt further. The setter laughed a bit and turned towards the other boy, throwing the blankets across them both and letting his arm drape over his friend's waist. He curled the other one around his head so he could still idly keep his finger's in the ginger's fluffy hair.

"How bout now?" Tobio could feel the heat increase on the back of his neck. Hinata grumbled something like 'could be better but I guess it'll do' so Kageyama gave his hair a bit of a pull, which surprisingly made Hinata laugh before nuzzling his face back into his chest. He waited a moment before moving his draped arm to reach between them and lift the other's face up. Before the ginger could even question him, he pressed the tips of their noses together lightly and gave him a little nuzzle. Hinata's face lit up like a firework and he reached up to cover his nose while Tobio started cackling.

"Sh-Shut up!!" Hinata yelled, voice shrill and grate-y. "What even was that you jerk? It was- I-It was..." He couldn't even finish and just sort of rubbed the tip of his nose in confusion.

"It's called an Eskimo kiss," The ravenet finally replied once he'd regained some composure from laughing. "You're supposed to do them with people you care about. But wow, your face was priceless!" He started laughing again. Hinata glowered from behind his hand before suddenly shifting himself to pin the other boy to the floor, sitting above his hips, hands gripping the fabric covering his chest as their faces were unbearably close.

"Oh yeah? Well I can do something better!"

Tobio felt color rising to his cheeks but rolled his eyes anyways, "Sure you can. You almost short-circuited from just a nose kiss."

"Is that a challenge?" Hinata huffed, face darkening.

"Dumbass, it might be," Tobio's mouth was running on its own as he looked into those deep pools of honey, sucked in by the sticky gaze.

"Fine! Challenge accepted!" And before Hinata knew what he was doing, he was leaning forward and pulling Kageyama to him and roughly shoving his lips onto Kageyama's. Tobio's eyes went wide, his noise of surprise cut off when his lips were forcefully closed. His heart rate seemed to skyrocket and he could practically see his own face light up. Then his eyes were closing and he found himself chasing the other boy's retreating face, sitting up and wrapping his hands around his spiker's shoulders. Chapped lips gave the illusion of softness that seemed too short to last as it clicked what he was doing and pulled back. Hinata's startled expression matched his own and there was silence between them. Hinata was the first to break it this time, his laugh sputtering out in choked bits before it fully broke loose, echoing through the room like a bell. Kageyama followed after, his laugh heavier even though he felt like he was flying.

"If that was supposed to be better, you definitely failed," Tobio snorted, fingers reaching up subconsciously to touch his lips, still a little wet to the touch with the other's saliva. Hinata pouted, but the bright red color to his face gave him away. "Hey, I was just kidding, it wasn't actually that bad." The ravenet reassured him, shifting to sit more comfortably with the ginger still in his lap. He didn't know what to do with his hands, so he let them fall to Hinata's hips, thumbs moving idly. The ginger still had his hands balled in the material of the dark-haired boy's jacket, eyes shifting to the side to avoid looking at him when he was overcome with shyness.

"I-I mean, it was only our like, third time so I didn't actually expect it to be good..." Hinata mumbled just loud enough for Tobio to hear.

The setter felt his face light up again, "Idiot! Are you making fun of me?"

"No!" Hinata said loudly, but he was smiling now and he felt like he could jump off a roof and grow wings. "It's just - you're Kageyama! You're just... I trust you and I care about you and if eskimo kisses are supposed to be with people you care about, then aren't regular kisses for the people you love?" Hinata finally took a chance and looked at the other, feeling just a little smug at how red and ruffled his setter was.

"How would I know, I've never kissed anyone else before!" Tobio retorted, very caught off-guard from the ginger's words, the hand still lingering in front of his mouth turning over so he could try and cover his burning face with the back of his wrist. "Shit, I don't know..."

Hinata felt like he had just swallowed a mouthful of butterflies that swirled down into his stomach, and it made him feel a little braver. He pushed the other boy's hand away and pulled his setter forward to press their lips together again, a little more gently this time. This time he kept his eyes open and stared into the deep swirling pools of blue that were Kageyama's own, at least until his setter closed his and started kissing back again, causing Hinata to follow suit. The ginger extended his legs and wrapped them around the other, shifting himself closer so he could slide his arms around the ravenet's neck, their chests brushing.

He smiled, and broke the kiss off for less than a moment before he began peppering the other's face with many small ones, suddenly giddy and excited and laughing. Tobio was confused and lost but laughing anyways until neither of them could even align their lips together properly and were left to just laugh, tangled together without thinking it was awkward at all.


End file.
